With Life Comes Love
by GravitatingSouls
Summary: When Jane is targeted and Maura gets swept up into the chaos that ensues, a few lessons are learnt love is found. Or perhaps not found, but realised. Sometimes, we must come close to losing something before we can truly understand its value. P/N that this is my very first fic so I'm going to apologise in advance.
1. Chapter 1

**AN - This is my very first fic (even my very first piece of creative writing) so please take that into consideration when reading. I know that this chapter is pretty slow but I just wanted to set it all up. I own nothing but the plot line and all credit for characters go to Tess Gerritsen and TNT.**

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 _I hate this damn thing. All I want is some coffee. Why is that too much to ask? Does life hate me that much that it will deny me that one simple pleasure? Or is it that Maura hates me that much that she relishes in watching me fight with this godforsaken machine?_

Lost in her internal ramblings, Jane had failed to hear Maura enter the kitchen and so Maura took the opportunity to study her best friend. Jane had been in a bad mood for several days now and at times she had started to grate on Maura's nerves. Sarcastic comments and a short fuse were not uncharacteristic for Jane, as is perhaps obvious from the nickname 'Hurricane Jane' – not that anyone dared to use it in front of her, everyone valued their lives too much to risk inducing the wrath of Jane.

However, recently Jane had been in a mood significantly worse than her normal self, and whilst Maura could usually ignore Jane's usual demeanour, she found that she was becoming increasingly annoyed at Jane's lack of patience and rudeness. No matter how often Maura attempted to discover what had put Jane in such a sour disposition, Jane could only tell her that she couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen. Whilst Maura didn't understand how the intestinal area could provide one with any form of instinct, she had frequently watched Jane's trust in her gut pay off and more than once it seemed to be Jane's intuition that had provided them with the leads and evidence needed to solve their cases. With this in mind, Maura sensed her annoyance at Jane's mood beginning to change into concern and worry. What if there truly was a storm brewing and one heading in their direction?

"FUCK'S SAKE!"

The exclamation drew Maura out of her thoughts and she once again focused her attention on Jane. She couldn't stop a giggle escape at the sight she encountered. Jane was frantically pressing switches and turning dials on her new coffee machine, and in her desperation for her morning coffee, had knocked over the jar, sending coffee beans flying all over the counter and onto the floor. Having not known Maura was there, the sound of her giggle startled Jane causing her to jump immediately into a position ready for whatever attack was about to come.

When her mind had finally caught up with the situation and she realised that it was just Maura, Jane dropped her defensive stance and felt her face immediately break out into a smile. Despite her awful mood lately, brought on by a lack of sleep from the feeling that something awful was heading their way, Jane couldn't prevent the grin that always appeared with Maura's presence.

Remembering, the situation which had elicited the sweet sound from her best friend, Jane quickly forced a scowl onto her face, shooting it in Maura's direction. When Maura simply raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in response, Jane reverted to her childhood self.

"Maaaauuuurrrraaa", she whined, "all I want is a cup of coffee before I have to deal with whatever shit we're called in for today and I can't even have that because of your damn coffee machine. The thing hates me!"

"Language Jane. And it is impossible for the coffee machine to hate you, it is a mechanical object that has no emotions." Ignoring Jane's childish grumbling and sighs, Maura set about making coffee for the both of them, knowing that Jane would have a face like thunder for the entire morning if she didn't have at least one cup before they were called into work.

The two women finished their drinks in a comfortable silence, one worrying about the gloomy disposition that had settled over her, the other worrying about her friend and the obvious lack of sleep. Engrossed in their own thoughts, neither realised just how close they were sitting to each other and both were startled when their phones rang, causing them to bump into each other. Sharing a look, they mentally readied themselves for the day ahead.

"Rizzoli"

"Isles"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN -** **I own nothing but the plot line and all credit for characters go to Tess Gerritsen and TNT. Please leave reviews, the comments would be much appreciated!**

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"Why do you even need such a fancy machine?"

"Jane, it's really not that fancy and it's actually quite simple to use, you have just never bothered to read the instructions."

Stopping to look incredulously at her friend, Jane replied, "Maura, all I want is coffee. What I don't want is to have to read a damn booklet before I can get some."

"When you two have finished squabbling like a married couple, the body is this way," Korsak said, interrupting the disagreement with a twinkle in his eye. _How can they be so blind? It's like it's obvious to everyone but them!_

The trio approached the body of a young woman with flowing blonde hair that splayed out behind her head like sun rays. Icy blue eyes that would have once sparkled in the light were now cold and lifeless, staring up into the cloudless sky.

"Oh my God!"

Spinning round to see what had caused the outburst from Jane, Maura and Korsak were met with the sight of Jane reeling backwards, a hand covering her mouth and eyes wide with horror and sadness. Maura's heart broke at the sight of her best friend and she darted over to wrap her arms around Jane.

"Jane! What is it?"

"Maura, she … I … oh God." Searching for Maura's eyes and finding comfort and concern shining back at her, Jane found the determination to tell them what she had never told anyone before. "Maura, the woman there is Kate McGrew. Quite some time back, before I met you and joined homicide, Kate and I dated for a while." Jane paused, eye's scanning Maura's face for her reaction to the news that Jane had dated a woman. If she was surprised she didn't show it.

Maura had watched Jane search for something in her face. Initially, Maura had been shocked to hear that Jane's revelation. She found, however, that this had quickly faded into to hurt. Maura had absolutely no problem with this having dated several women herself. Instead, she found that the hurt had surfaced from the fact that Jane had never told her, even when she knew Jane had had an opportunity to when Maura had informed her of her past relationships with women. Through the hurt, however, Maura could feel a small sense of hope and warmth, something that she locked away and made a mental note to examine later, as now was certainly not the time. Now, she needed to focus on Jane and comfort her best friend.

"It didn't last any more than a few months. I graduated from the academy and she graduated from BCU. After that life threw us in different directions and our hours at work left us with barely any time to spend together. It broke both our hearts but we knew it was for the best. We promised each other that we would stay in contact but, well … you know how life goes."

"Oh Jane, I'm so sorry"

"It's okay Maur', you didn't do this."

The two continued their embrace, Jane soaking up all the love and comfort from Maura that she could. Korsak, who had watched and heard the entire conversation, startled when he heard Frost move to beside him. Immediately sensing the atmosphere, he observed the saddened look on his friend's face before his eyes landed on the two women, where the smaller appeared to be holding the weight of the taller.

"What's wrong?"

"Jane knew our vic, her name's Kate McGrew. They had dated a while back." Sighing, he turned back to their victim. Her face was a bloody mess but he sensed that she would have an incredibly beautiful woman. Sometimes, he hated his job.

Kate, as they now knew, had ten large wounds across her torso, with bruising and cuts littering her arms, legs and face, like she had been beaten to a pulp before killed. It was a horrific sight and what made it worse was that she had been left on the street in full view, entirely naked and exposed.

Reluctantly letting go of Jane, and with one last sad look into her friend's eyes, Maura set about doing her job. "It seems that a puncture wound to the heart was the cause of death. The clean edges of the wounds suggest a large but sharp weapon, although I won't be able to confirm until I can get her back to the lab."

As Korsak examined the crime scene he found he couldn't shake the feeling that this was something bigger. Shaking his head, he continued his inspection. "Well, she wasn't killed here, there's nowhere near enough blood."

Speaking for the first time since her conversation with Maura, Jane let out a growl. "Shit! That just makes our job harder!"

At this Korsak looked up, his eyes apologetic. Sighing, he made his way over to the detective he had come to love as both a friend and a daughter-figure. "Jane, you know you can't participate in this investigation."

Eyes wide with anger that made Korsak take an involuntary step backwards Jane replied in a low and dangerous tone. "Well, I am, Korsak. I am going to find the bastard who did this to her, and I am going to nail his or her ass to the wall. And no one is going to stop me." With a final nod, Jane turned from Korsak and began putting on gloves so that she could begin her own investigation.

Catching her hands in his, Korsak steeled himself for the fight that was inevitably coming. "No Jane, you are too close to this. We must follow protocol." Sensing an outburst, Korsak cut Jane off before she could interrupt him, "I cannot stop you from giving your input in the office, but you are not to conduct any field work, and that is an order. Do not make me haul your ass to Cavanaugh, Jane."

Fury swimming in her eyes, Jane pushed Korsak away and stormed back towards the car. Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he headed back towards the M.E. "Doc, are you close to finishing, I think Jane needs to be taken home or at least back to the office, and right now she hates me so I can't do it. You're the only one she'll listen to."

Standing up from her position on the floor, Maura looked at Korsak. She could tell that having Jane's anger directed at him had hurt him. "Jane doesn't listen to me Vince, but I will try and make her see reason. I'm just about finished here but I need to go back to the office first, so Jane will have to come with me for a while until we can leave."

Nodding solemnly, Korsak smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Look after her Doc, I don't know what it is but I feel like there's more to this. She's going to need you."

Looking directly into his eyes, Maura nodded her head. "I'll always be there for her." With that, Maura turned and headed in the direction of Jane. Seeing Jane leaning against Maura's car with an expression that Maura hadn't seen since Hoyt's return, Maura felt her heart explode. After Maura had unlocked it, Jane climbed in without saying a word.

Watching the car pull off, Korsak looked for Frost in the crowd of CSRU. Finding him, he headed over and asked what they had found, but knowing from the look on Frost's face alone he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No prints, no fibres. The only thing we have is that bit of blood, which we won't know who's it is until Maura can run her tests. But with how clean the scene is, I'm betting on it being our victims. How can someone move a body so cleanly?"

"I don't know Frost but we have to find something, for Janie. That reminds me, call Frankie and get him briefed seen as Jane can't work the case." With a nod Frost left, leaving Korsak alone with his thoughts.

 _This is going to be one long investigation._


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- I own nothing but the plot, credit to Tess Gerritsen and TNT. Thank you tothos who have favourited, followed and left reviews, it is very much appreciated. Much love guys!**

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Jane hadn't spoken a word since her confrontation with Korsak, and Maura was becoming increasingly concerned. Underneath the anger, Maura could see sadness and grief swimming in the dark pools of Jane's eyes, and Maura was helpless to console her. Despite multiple attempts to draw Jane out from her thoughts, nothing seemed to work. Jane had retreated, secluding herself from the outside world, tucked into a dark corner of her mind with nothing but fury and misery for company. Maura knew she had to get through to Jane before she turned destructive.

Pulling up at the precinct, Maura swivelled in her chair to look fully at Jane. Grasping her hands, Maura made the effort to physically pull Jane back to reality. Dark orbs found hers, and Maura was momentarily taken aback. _How can there be so much emotion in her eyes, but also such emptiness?_

Seemingly lost in each other's gaze, neither new how much time passed. Waking from the trance that had settled over her, Maura squeezed Jane's hands a little tighter, rubbing her thumbs over the scar tissue. The eye contact that they had sustained since Maura had stopped the car was broken as both eyes dropped to their joined hands. Jane hated her scars and did everything she could to hide them. To her, they were a permanent reminder of her weakness and vulnerability, a visual representation of how broken she was. She hated people looking at them and certainly allowed no one to touch them. _No one but Maura,_ her mind supplied.

Ignoring the tingling sensation where her skin met Jane's, Maura looked up once more at her friend. "Jane, I need to run into the lab and sort some things out and then we're going home. Do you want to come up with me?"

"Er, no. I'll wait for you in the car."

"Okay, I'll be back down as soon as I can." Exiting the car, Maura immediately felt guilty for leaving Jane alone, but she knew that she had to get the investigation underway before she could do anything else.

With her errands taking longer than expected, by the time Maura had returned to the car Jane had fallen asleep, her head resting against the window, both emotionally and physically exhausted as her recent lack of sleep finally caught up with her. Deciding not to wake her until they reached home, Maura started the car and put her seatbelt on. Observing Jane's face, Maura noted two angry red tracks that had seared themselves into her cheeks, and the telling puffiness of Jane's eyes even in sleep. She had been crying. _And you weren't here to comfort her._

Shaking her head to clear the irrational thoughts, Maura drove them home, waking Jane only when they had reached Maura's house. Once inside, Jane immediately made her way to the fridge, taking out a beer and draining it, before taking out another to settle with on the sofa. Maura poured herself a glass of wine, and followed Jane towards the sofa, before turning around grabbing the bottle to take with her.

The settled onto the sofa, Maura sitting close enough to Jane to let her know the comfort was there if she wanted it, but not with enough distance not to make her uncomfortable. Understanding Maura as well as she did, Jane flashed a smile towards her best friend as a sign of gratitude, before laying down and putting her head in Maura's lap. Maura watched as her hands seem to have a life their own, immediately running through the long, dark curls of the detective, and she was powerless to stop them. Jane's features that had been set in harsh lines since they found the body, softened with every minute that passed, before sighing and turning her head to look at Maura.

"I guess you want to know about me and Kate."

Resisting the urge to correct Jane, knowing now was the time, Maura smiled sadly. "Whilst it is natural that I am curious, I understand that this entire situation is very difficult for you, and so I'm happy to wait until you are ready to tell me."

Warmth spread through Jane like fire through a corridor at hearing Maura's words, and with a new found bravery, began her tale of how she had met Kate. "Kate and I first met when I'd just started the police academy. She was introduced to me when I bumped into Paige outside a coffee shop. Paige was someone I knew when I was a kid, and she Kate was a close friend of hers. Originally Kate was from California but had moved to Boston for a change of scene. We seemed to take an instant liking to each other and we quickly established a friendship. As time went on we grew closer, and then everything changed one evening when me and Paige, sorry Paige and I decided we should catch up with some childhood friends, to which we invited Kate to as well."

Maura couldn't help but smile at Jane's own correction. Even when discussing such an upsetting topic, it was clear Jane was thinking about Maura and her preferences.

"Well, erm, it got pretty out of hand and we'd all had too much to drink and someone thought it would be a good idea to play spin the bottle. When the bottle had landed on her, Kate picked a dare and some smartass thought it would be funny to dare her to kiss me, since everyone thought I was the least likely to go along with that."

"Ah, so it was love at first kiss?"

At that Jane's eye's opened and found Maura's. "Was that Dr. Isles trying to be funny? Or am I just going insane?" To which Maura responded by giving Jane a shove, almost causing her to fall off the sofa. A warmth glowed within Maura, happy that she could provide some relief from the grief that had been haunting Jane, knowing that it was her that had returned some light to those dark eyes, even if there was still a way to go.

Sitting up, Jane took a large gulp of her beer, and sat back against the sofa, resting her head on Maura's shoulder. "We both felt the connection and then from that night onwards, everything just seemed to snowball. We got into a relationship, a cautious one albeit. It was the first time either of us had been with a woman, and neither of us even realised we were inclined that way. But we were happy, and it was so easy. Well, at the start at least. Everything was just so natural."

Jane paused to fight the tears swimming in her eyes before continuing. "As we grew more intimate, I learned that her move to Boston wasn't just for a change of scenery. She was seeking refuge, Maura. Her life at home was hell! Whilst pregnant with her, Kate's mother had suffered implications from which she never quite recovered, and when she died the year before Kate moved, her father took it out on her. He became an alcoholic and an abuser, making sure Kate knew that he blamed her for her mother's death. And to top it off, her previous boyfriend had been a controlling bastard who she had become so terrified of angering, that she never left the house! She didn't want to risk angering him, so she did nothing at all."

Unsure what to do with the information Jane had just revealed Maura slipped her arm around Jane to bring her closer, if that was even possible, lending Jane all of her support in her effort to reign in her sudden burst of anger. Maura's heart was breaking at the situation and she couldn't begin to fathom how Jane must be feeling. Uncomfortable with the silence that had fallen over them Maura placed a hand under Jane's chin to lift her head allowing her to look into Jane's eyes.

"Did you love her?" Maura ventured.

As two tears slipped down Jane's cheeks, in their race to reach the finish line as others sat and supported from behind the barriers of her eyelashes, just itching to run themselves, Maura watched Jane's walls com crumbling down, exposing a rawness Maura had hoped to never see again.

"I think I did."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- I own nothing but the plot.**

 **Sorry, this one took a little longer, but it's been one busy week. Please keep reviewing! Much love guys**

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Korsak stood staring at the board that now featured three photographs; one of their victim, and two others that were, at this moment in time, their only leads. "So we have two suspects, the victims-"

"Kate's", Jane interrupted.

"Right sorry. So we have Kate's father," he said, pointing towards the leftmost photograph, showing a man in his late fifties or early sixties with grey hair and dark angry eyes so unlike his daughter's. His alcoholism was obvious in a way no one could explain. It was almost as if it seeped through the harsh lines that were etched on his face.

"And her psycho ex-boyfriend," Jane said, joining Korsak at the board and pointing at the picture on the right, featuring a man now in his late thirties, with jet black hair and misty blue eyes, which seemed to hide a world of secrets.

"Yes!" Jane and Korsak turned to Frost, waiting for him to tell them what he had found. "I've got a location on the father, I'm sending it to your phone Korsak."

"Are you not coming with me?"

"I can't, I need to keep working on the location of the boyfriend." Jane grabbed her keys from her desk and headed towards the elevator.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You need backup, and Frost can't go, so I'm going."

"Jane, we've had this conversation. You are not to do anything outside of the office. Now get back in here, and get on with whatever task Cavanaugh has given you."

"But –"

"No buts, I'm going to grab Frankie and head out with him." Without another word, Korsak jumped into the elevator Jane had called, leaving her standing in the hallway. He had felt the daggers in his back until the doors had closed, offering him safety.

Turning on her heel and storming back into the bullpen, Jane was radiating anger and Frost's comment was silenced before it had even formed in his head. As they hadn't caught another homicide, Jane had been left with the thing she detested: paperwork. The longer she stared at the looming pile on her desk, the more the feeling of helplessness threatened to overwhelm her. _Kate, I'm sorry, I know I'm not doing enough._

Standing up from her desk, she caught Frost's attention and let him know she was heading down to Maura. The dark haired detective was in desperate need of her best friends company and comfort.

The clicking of boots coming down the hallway was a sound that Maura had become very familiar with over the last few years, and it was one that she often found herself wishing for. It was the sound that told her Jane was coming. However, years of familiarity had also allowed her to distinguish between Jane's walks, and currently, Jane's footsteps were loud and heavy, signalling to Maura, that her best friend was not in the best of moods.

Maura watched as Jane walked in without knocking and flumped down on the sofa in her office, putting her head in hands. Maura knew that probing Jane would just trigger the detective's defence mechanisms and that if she wanted her best friend to speak what was on her mind, then she had to wait for Jane to open up herself. Instead, Maura sat down next to her best friend, taking one of the scarred hands in her own. Instantly, she could feel the familiar warmth spread through her, the one that always accompanied Jane's touch.

"We got a hit on the location of Kate's father. Korsak and Frankie have gone to talk to him, whilst Frankie continues working on the ex."

"That's good, isn't it? It's a step in the right direction!"

"Yeah, but it should be me out there not Frankie."

"Oh. Jane-"

"I hate this, Maur'. I feel so useless. I should be out there helping to find the bastard who did this to her." Jane dropped her head, looking at the floor to hide theemotion that had surfaced.

"I know Jane, but you know the rules. I have no doubt that you would be able to lead this case without a problem, but this is the way it has to be."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No it doesn't" Maura sighed sadly. Using her unoccupied hand to lift the detectives head, forcing Jane to look at her. "Jane, without the information you've given, we wouldn't even have any leads to chase. Please don't belittle yourself. You may not be out on the field, but your involvement and help in this case is crucial. You are the best detective I have ever worked with, and I know that you will find the link that we are missing, even if you have to do it from here, instead of out there."

Jane couldn't fight the smile at Maura's words. It wasn't as bright as usual, something that Maura noticed, but it was a smile nonetheless. She was truly grateful, that she had been blessed with a friend like Maura and she didn't know what she had done to deserve her, but she thanked every God she could think of for the blonde still holding her hand.

Back upstairs in the bullpen, Frost was startled awake from his impromptu nap by the beeps coming from his computer. Blearily scanning the screen, it took a few moments for it to register in his head that the system had found a location on the ex-boyfriend. He jumped from his seat, refusing to waste time waiting for Korsak and Frankie to return. This case had hit close to home for his partner, and as the local news had already found scoops on the case, he refused to give one of their suspects the chance to slip through their fingers. Leaving Jane a note on her desk, telling her where he'd gone and asking her to let Korsak know, Frost left the precinct.

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Jane was woken by the buzzing of her phone. Cracking her eyes open, Jane was met with the smiling face of her best friend mere inches away from her own. _God, she's beautiful. Wait, what the fuck, Jane._

"Hello, sleepyhead"

"Shush." Trying desperately to hide the blush that was quickly colouring her face, Jane asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"About forty-five minutes. How are you feeling now?"

Jane ran a shaky hand through her dark locks. "Better, but I still feel like shit."

Maura couldn't find it in her to reprimand Jane, and instead simply extended her hand towards Jane, offering the detective her phone, "Korsak is calling you." Their gazes locked as Jane's fingers accidentally brushed against Maura's, eliciting quiet gasps from both of them.

"Korsak, hi… Slow down… What? … Shit… I'm on my way." Finishing the call Jane, looked to Maura. "Kate's father has been taken to the hospital, but it's not looking good for him. Something tells me he's not our man."

Maura frowned in confusion. "Why, what happened?"

"He's been stabbed, Maura."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- I own nothing but the plot.**

 **I know this one is a bit short, but hey ho, it gets things rolling!**

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Jane arrived at the hospital and was met by Korsak, whose shirt was saturated in blood. Watching Jane's eyes flick over his appearance, he gave her the news. "He didn't make it Jane. We tried to stop the bleeding but there was too much."

"You said he was stabbed. Is it definitely murder? Could it have been self-inflicted? Maybe the bastard realised what he'd d-"

"Jane, stop. I can't tell you for certain until we can get his body to the lab-"

"You sound like Maura."

"- but it certainly looks like murder." Korsak continued, ignoring Jane's interruption. "His wounds were almost identical to Kate's."

At this Jane focused all her attention on him, and Korsak watched as the cogs turned in his friend's head. "The same person?"

"We can't be sure, but it looks that way."

"Wait, you said almost identical, what was the difference?"

"He was beaten and bruised, but had only 9 stab wounds."

"Which one was missing?" Jane asked, though already suspecting she knew what the answer was.

"The one to his heart. Kate died fairly quickly, but her father was left to bleed out and suffer."

Jane sat down in a seat and attempted to make sense of the mess that was her head. Her thoughts were jumbled and disorganised, like toys that had been thrown haphazardly into a child's toy box. _Come on Jane, you need to do this for Kate. Sort your fucking head out._

"Right so we can't rule out the father just because he's dead, we still don't know where he was the morning of Kate's murder." With a nod from Korsak, Jane continued, "but you're right, my gut is telling me these murders were committed by the same person. Our other suspect is the ex, but what would his motive be for killing the father? As far as I'm aware, Kate never introduced him to her parents, so where's the link?"

"Unless there isn't one and we have the wrong person."

"Fuck's sake. We're just chasing our own tails here! We still don't know where Kate was murdered, one of our suspects is dead, now we have two connected murders and we can't link the other suspect to one of them! When the fuck are we going to catch a break?" Korsak allowed Jane to rant and steam, knowing that it was better for Jane to let her emotions out rather than bottle them up. Despite not being officially on the case, they needed Jane, and Korsak knew that pent up anger would blind her.

Jane jumped up from her seat and paced back and forth, before turning and slamming her fist into the wall. A sickening crack sounded, but Jane didn't seem to feel a thing. Anger was causing through her veins fusing with her very life force. A small voice in the back of her head wondered if there would ever be a time again where there wasn't anger simmering under her skin. At this moment in time, she very much doubted it.

Korsak felt his phone vibrate but he ignored it, instead carefully catching Jane's injured hand to look at the damage, which she immediately pulled out of his grasp. "You need to get that checked out, Jane. Come on."

Defeat taking over her, Jane reluctantly allowed herself to be directed towards a young nurse, with dark red hair and emerald green eyes, who set about strapping Jane's hand up.

Frankie made his way to them once he had finished talking to the doctor who had attempted to save Kate's father. "Korsak, what judge owes you a favour? They won't let me see his notes, what with patient-confidentiality and all."

"I'll make a call now and see if we can get a warrant. Sit with Jane until the nurse is finished, then come and meet me outside and we'll head back to the station. There's nothing more to do here for the time being." With a nod from Frankie, Korsak left the others and made his way outside where he unhooked his phone from his belt. The screen told him he had 5 missed calls from Maura. He assumed that she was just concerned for Jane and the case, and was phoning him because Jane wasn't answering her phone, so he decided to phone the judge first and get this case moving again.

In the time that Korsak had been on the phone to the judge, the nurse had finished with Jane's hand and the Rizzoli siblings had made their way outside to meet Korsak. Seeing Jane, Korsak remembered about his phone calls from Maura and told the detective about them.

"Shit, I must have left my phone in Maura's office in my rush to get here," Jane said, realising her phone wasn't in its holder on her belt.

Korsak dialled Maura's number and waited for her to answer the other phone. He had expected her to inquire about the suspect and where it left their case. What he hadn't expected was Maura to answer on the first ring, her voice filled with horror and devastation.

Ending the call, Korsak felt his knees buckle and, had it not been for the quick reactions of his two friends, he would have ended up a crumpled mess on the floor. The Rizzoli siblings helped him to a bench where he sat down, weak with shock and sadness. He knew the others were waiting for an explanation, but right now he couldn't give it; it felt as if the life had been knocked out of him.

Taking a moment to steel himself, Korsak looked up into the eyes of his team and his friends, tears swimming in his own eyes and his face pale.

"There's been an accident. Frost's car was involved."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- I own nothing but the plot. Please keep reviewing!**

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Jane jumped out of the car before it had even stopped moving, the ominous blue lights flashing, highlighting every inch of her terror-stricken face. Jane's heart was charging around in her chest, and she was helpless to do anything about it. Fear had shackled itself to her wrists and ankles, making every movement more difficult and tiring than the last. The scene was a blur of motion and colour, lights reflected off windows and blinded her, and the noise assaulted her ears. Every fibre of her body wanted to turn and run away from what was in front of her. In the chaos that surrounded her, Jane's eyes sought the one thing that would ground her. They came to rest on a head of blonde hair in the midst of bedlam.

 _Maura._

The ME had kneeled on the ground next to the body of a young man. Covering him, Maura dropped her head as silent tears ran down her face. She had never been as close to him as Jane, but Maura had seen the goodness in Barry Frost, a pureness and desire for justice that was so rare in today's world, and the pain that she felt in her chest, in her very bones, was glaringly obvious as she stood and turned to find the dark eyes of her best friend focused on her, and solely on her. With a heavy heart and an ache in her soul, she locked eyes with the dark haired detective and shook her head.

A silence descended over her like water tipped from a bucket, all the light and chaos that had overwhelmed her disappeared, replaced by a wall of emptiness. Jane was paralysed, her heart shattered like the broken glass beneath her feet. That one action from Maura had strangled her. The world had been pulled from underneath her, and Jane couldn't find the strength to remain standing. She crumpled to the floor as sobs wracked her body, darkness closing in on her. And then Maura was there, glass cutting into her skin where she was kneeling, sitting Jane up in a way that would allow her to embrace the taller woman. Jane buried her face in Maura's hair, clutching desperately at her friend as grief took over her. Neither moved for a long time, for neither could find the strength to part from each other. At some point, Frankie had wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them tight as he let his own tears fall.

Korsak had watched Maura silently announce Barry's death with a sense of detachment. He would grieve for his friend in time, but for now, he needed to remain strong. His team was broken, torn apart in the harshest way, and he knew someone needed to hold them together. So, with a single tear falling from his eye and a hole in his chest where his heart should be, the aging detective approached the wreck that had once been his friend's car. Now it was nothing more than a crumpled piece of metal.

 _Frost, why were you here? Your house was in the opposite direction from the precinct. What were you doing?_

Looking up and down the street, he spotted cameras that were facing the road and made a mental note ask for footage in the hope that at least one of them had caught the incident. Studying the scene, Korsak couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Maura had told him Frost had been involved in an accident, but nothing about the carnage in front of him indicated that this was accidental. _Wait, there's only one car. With that much damage to Frost's car, the other one should be a wreck too, so why is it not here?_

Moving closer to the vehicle, Korsak felt dread wash over him as if he had been doused with ice cold water. There, lying on the twisted metal, were three photographs, all of which were familiar in some way to him. Ensuring that they had been already been photographed, Korsak pulled on some gloves and picked up the first two photographs. They were photos of their crime scenes, one of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, who bared some resemblance to the older man in the other, with grey hair and dark eyes, both with large stab wounds staining their skin.

The third photograph struck fear into the very soul of Vince Korsak. It was a face he saw every day. One that could both amuse and scare him, but one that he had come to love nonetheless. A person who had given him an extended family and so many good memories. A person who he had seen broken and tortured at the hands of a psycho, and someone who he vowed to protect with every fibre of his being.

The photograph showed the face Jane Rizzoli, on which cross-hairs had been drawn in the middle of her forehead.

Flipping the picture over, Korsak read the message that been written on the back.

"Hurts to have something you love taken away from you doesn't it? And by someone you thought you knew no less. You have no idea how much loss eats away at you. But you will.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. We're going to have some fun, bitch."

* * *

A few blocks down, in an old and falling down motel, one could find a dented 4x4 that had been hardened to withstand force, and one could hear the local news station reporting a fatal motor vehicle collision that had taken the life of a detective of the homicide division of the Boston Police Department. The station had received an anonymous call about the collision and had arrived earlier than any of the police had expected, and as such the occupant of the room was rewarded with unfiltered footage of the dark haired detective crumpled in a mess on the cold floor, and they raised a drink in pride of their handy work.

But any celebrations were cut short when a blonde woman was at the side of the broken detective almost instantly. The closeness between them was undeniable, and anger crackled through the air in the room.

"Found yourself a new blonde toy have we, Rizzoli? Think you can just replace her, do you? Well, let's see how you feel when that toy gets broken." And with that, a new plan of action was born.

One that tear through Jane's world like a hurricane.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN- I own nothing but the plot.**

 **Thank you to everyone still reading! Please keep reviewing, I feel the constant need to know how I'm fairing with my first fic.**

 **Also, what did everyone think of the 100th episode?**

 **Happy reading guys!**

* * *

The two women had returned to Maura's in a heavy silence filled with pain. The quietness was suffocating, but neither could find the strength to speak, and music was in no way appropriate. Jane spent the entire ride staring out of the passenger window, watching but not seeing, as the lights of the city illuminated the dark night sky. The taste of bitterness had settled in her mouth as she observed the world around her, watching Boston go on as normal, oblivious to the pain and loss she was drowning in. Maura had channelled all of her focus into driving in order to avoid the dark, pain induced thoughts that she knew were swimming around her head, her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel never loosening.

Maura had asked Jane to stay the night, knowing that they would both need the company, and the best friends had found themselves on Maura's sofa, Jane on her fourth beer and Maura on her third glass of wine. The silence had followed them through the door like an unwanted acquaintance and had made itself comfortable, squeezing in between them to settle there, unmovable in its stubbornness. Unable to stand the overwhelming emotions, Jane had excused herself and hid in the guest bedroom.

She knew that sleep would not be forthcoming, for every time she closed her eyes she was met with memories and visions of her friend, and so the detective laid awake in the dark room, staring at the ceiling. She was fighting a deadly battle, and with every second that passed she was one step closer to succumbing to the pain from the wounds in her heart. Her grief came in waves, consuming and overpowering her, each more crippling and deadly than the last, until she was left fighting for breath and powerless in the sea of emotions. Jane dragged herself from the bed, with the aim of drowning herself in the remaining bottles of beer Maura had. She caught sight of her face in a mirror but made no effort to hide her puffy eyes and blazing red cheeks. Taking a moment to steady herself and still her swimming head, Jane stepped out into the hallway, her eyes fighting to make sense of the darkness. Her hearing was fairing much better than her sight, and Jane became aware of quiet, but definitely there, sniffles coming from the direction of Maura's room. Discarding her idea of beer, Jane felt an invisible force pull her towards her best friend.

Maura's door stood slightly open, allowing Jane to watch the M.E. for a moment before making her presence known. The blonde was curled into a ball on her bed, and Jane's heart broke further at how impossibly small her best friend looked. They had all been left broken by their loss, and while Maura hadn't spent a great deal of time with Frost, Jane knew that she had included the detective as a friend. There were few that Maura could be open with and who accepted her for who she was, and she valued those who did with all her heart. Maura was as much part of the family that had developed in homicide as Jane was, and the dark haired detective knew that Maura would suffer as much as the rest of them. Jane entered her friend's room, closing the door after her, leaving the room in complete darkness. Maura who had heard Jane come in, shifted on the bed to make room for the other woman, both coming to lay on their backs, their arms touching.

It was Maura who broke the silence between them when she turned her head to face Jane and said, "I keep seeing his face. Every time I close my eyes."

"Yeah, I do too. And it hurts." Maura simply nodded and laced her fingers with the long digits of the detective, not trusting her voice enough to reply. Not that she had any idea of what to say anyway. Jane continued, "life is so un-fucking-fair. He was a good man. Why him?"

"I wish I knew, Jane. I wish I knew."

And she did. Maura had turned the very same question over in her own head since she had left the scene, and no matter how hard she tried, the answer always escaped her. And Maura hated it. The two women fell into a silence that eventually lulled them into a restless sleep. Sleep that neither would have achieved had it not been for the company of the other.

Meanwhile, lying awake in his own bed, Vince Korsak cried. The detective allowed himself to grieve for a great detective, a wonderful man, and an amazing friend. Not only did he know that the team would feel so much smaller now, Korsak also knew there was a shit storm heading in the direction of Jane Rizzoli, and it was in between the waves of grief that the detective decided on how to tell one of his dearest friends that she had been targeted and that the man they were all currently mourning had been ripped from their lives by the very same person.

* * *

Jane woke slowly, as was usual, on the left side of the bed and lying on her side, as was also usual. What was not normal, however, was the weight of an arm draped across her waist, or the hair that tickled her nose, or the even breath that ghosted across the skin of her neck. During their restless sleep, the two women had shifted, unconsciously seeking the safety of the other's arms. Jane's arms encircled Maura, one painfully numb from the hours of being a pillow for her friend's head. But the detective ignored her protesting muscles, remaining still in fear of waking her friend. It was uncharacteristic for Maura to sleep this late (as a glance at the clock had told Jane it was now ten minutes past eight), and even more so for her to wake after Jane.

 _Should I wake her? She's going to kill me if she knows I let her sleep this late. But she looks so peaceful, who am I to bring her back to this miserable reality?_

If she was being honest with herself, Jane was reluctant to disturb the moment as she found she enjoyed the feel of the M.E. in her arms. The warmth of the smaller body seemed to surround her, protecting Jane from the grief and sadness that awaited her outside of the bed. She didn't know what the emotions stirring in her were, nor did she wish to analyse them. Jane was simply content to lay in the peacefulness that had settled over her, her eyes watching the emotions that danced across the features of her best friend.

At least until Maura's phone rang, disturbing the smaller women from her slumber. Jane felt the woman tense briefly in her arms, before relaxing as her mind caught up, and she realised that the arms clamped around here were, in fact, Jane's. She didn't remember falling asleep in this position, but for once, the doctor was content not to think about it and just let it be. Wrapped in Jane's arms, Maura felt sheltered from the evil that had invaded their lives and sought further safety by snuggling up to her best friend, tightening her hold on the detective.

When her phone rang again, Maura let out a growl of frustration, which caused Jane to stare at her, eyes wide with surprise and an incredulous look on her features. Ignoring her, Maura answered her phone to hear the voice of Korsak, devoid of any emotion.

"Korsak has asked us to go in. He says he has some news," Maura said once she ended the call. Jane groaned as Maura slipped from the circle of her arms. "I don't think we're going to like it."

"It's not like anything can make me feel any worse," Jane said dragging herself out of the bed. Maura didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything at all, something that Jane noticed instantly. Maura was known to switch to her googlemouth when she didn't immediately know what the warranted response was, and so to Jane, her friend's silence spoke volumes.

The two prepared for the day in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, and for now at least, ignorant of the storm brewing.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN - I own nothing but the plot and any original characters! All mistakes are my own. Please keep reviewing!**

* * *

The building that housed all branches of BPD was undeniably impressive. It stood tall and proud, a protector of its turf and people, a physical embodiment of those who worked within its walls. The building and everything it symbolised had become part of Jane, it was who she was. But now, as the detective stood frozen on the steps, she realised that this building no longer felt like home. There was a hole in her BPD family, an empty place at the table. The building would never feel the same again, and Jane realised she didn't want to walk through those doors. Maura's hand on the small of her back instantly quelled the war that was raging inside of her, and with a deep breath, the two stepped into the precinct.

Jane had a hard time working up the courage to enter the homicide bullpen, and when she did, she had to fight against the onslaught of tears and the threatening of her near-empty stomach to lose what little was in there. Jane approached Frost's desk slowly as if she was waiting for him to jump out from underneath at any moment and surprise her. She slumped in his chair, her eyes falling on the cold, half-finished coffee.

 _Where were you going, Frost? Why did you leave? You'd still be with us if you stayed, still be with me. What made you go?_

"Oh, my… Jane, look"

Jane whipped her head towards Maura, who pointed at a note on her desk. She hadn't noticed it when she'd walked in, her focus solely on the emptiness of her partner's chair. The voice in her head mocked her, _what kind of a detective are you?_

Ignoring the pain and self-doubt, Jane took the note and allowed her eyes to scan the words. By the time the words had registered, Korsak had entered the bullpen and was now standing next to them in order to see what they were reading.

"Korsak, he was going to see Kate's ex. He'd found a location for him." Jane's eyes found Korsak's and the pain in his gaze forced her to look away. He looked older in that moment than she had ever seen him. It was then that Jane realised the older detective had three evidence bags in his hand. Confusion etched on her features, Jane nodded towards the items in his hand. "What are those?"

"Jane. Maura. You might want to sit down." When Jane made no effort to move, Maura pulled the detective into her chair before leaning against Jane's desk to support herself. Korsak looked on with sadness before continuing. "These were found at the scene of Fr… of Barry's crash." He handed the three bags to the two women, and his heart broke when saw the realisation dawn on the features of the two. "We think that the same person who killed Kate and her father killed Frost as well. You're being targeted Jane and someone is using those you care about to get to you." Maura's face was myriad of emotions, shock and pain the most evident amongst them. Jane's face, however, was a mask, and Korsak had never seen the eyes of the woman in front of him so empty. He wondered is he had just delivered the news that had broken his friend beyond repair.

Jane was falling. The floor beneath her feet had disappeared, and now she was tumbling down into a pit of flaming despair.

 _Kate… Frost… Oh God. It's my fault. It was because of me. They died because of me._

Guilt coursed through Jane like electricity, fuelling her every thought, her very action, it's white-hot fingers leaving impressions as it assaulted her mind. It had wrapped its tendrils around her heart, and with every beat, its poison replaced the blood in her veins. The seat opposite her was no longer empty. Instead, her friend and ex-partner was there, his face twisted in anger and hurt, his eyes cold with blame, freezing the very soul of the dark haired detective.

Maura watched as Jane was overcome with guilt. Jane was losing herself, dragged into the darkest shadows of her mind. She could see the fire raging in her friend, despite the emptiness in her dark eyes. She could see the point in which the heartache became too much. Her own shock had rendered her immobile and it was a few minutes before the small voice in her mind could gather enough volume and power to be heard and force her after the broken woman who had all but fled from the room, Frost's note still in hand, the evidence bags dropped in fear and horror discarded on the floor.

She found Jane outside, sat on the steps that she had stood frozen on only thirty minutes ago. Her shoulders were slumped and she had buried her face in her hands. She was silent, but violent tremors that shook the body of her friend told Maura that Jane was crying. Maura couldn't remember Jane ever looking as small as she did now. The damage was obvious, and Maura didn't know how much more the detective could take. Maura couldn't fight the anger that rose within her. Someone was toying with Jane and was succeeding. Jane was far from the proud, stubborn detective that she knew and loved, and Maura vowed to do everything she could to find the bastard who had shattered Jane in such a cruel way.

Sitting down beside the taller woman, Maura was silent for a moment before speaking. "Jane, don't do this. You're blaming yourself, I can see it in your eyes. This wasn't your fault. You did not kill them, so don't you dare tell yourself you had something to do with this. Jane, look at me."

But Jane couldn't. She couldn't look at Maura and see the blame flickering in those hazel eyes. She knew it was there, regardless of what Maura had said. There was no place for the knowledge that Maura couldn't lie in her guilt-torn mind. She couldn't look at Maura, so she stared steadfastly at the ground instead.

"They died because someone wants to hurt me, Maura. It is because I am the target, and because they were close to me that those two wonderful people lost their lives. How can you sit there and say I played no part in their deaths?"

Maura reached out to take Jane's hands in her own, but the detective jerked away from her and stood up, putting distance between them as she escaped down the remaining steps. Jane glanced in the direction of her friend but Maura couldn't keep the hurt from her face, and Jane couldn't stand to look at the tears that had escaped down the M.E's cheeks.

"They died because of me, Maura. And this isn't over. You read the note. Someone's playing with me by messing with those I love. Who else has to get hurt because of me?"

And with utter dejection evident in every step Jane walked away, leaving Maura sat on the steps of the precinct, Frost's final words still crumpled in the fist of the detective.

* * *

Maura was sat at her desk in her office, laptop open but ignored. It had been hours since Korsak had shown the note that had caused Jane to run off, the sky outside now dark. She hadn't chased after the detective. She knew should have, but it was clear that Jane wanted to be alone and the other woman's rejection ad stung her more than she cared to admit. In all the time that she had known Jane, Maura couldn't remember a single moment when the taller woman had avoided her comfort and touch. Even during the times when Jane was deeply hurting and shirked away from the attention of everyone else, she had never pushed Maura away.

Lost in her thoughts, Maura hadn't heard Korsak coming, nor had she realised that she was crying. Hastily wiping at her eyes, she stood and greeted the man who had become a very dear friend to her.

"Hey Doc, you managed to get in touch with Jane yet?"

Maura shook her head. She had sent several texts and left countless voicemails, none of which had been replied to by the dark haired detective. Maura may have been hurt by Jane's rejection, but that didn't stop the worry that clenched at her heart.

Korsak sighed and continued, "Me neither. Any luck on those photos and the note?"

Maura dropped back into her chair and looked at the results that had sat on her computer screen for the last half an hour. "Results came back a while ago. No prints on any, and there is nothing extraordinary about the paper and ink used."

Korsak took a seat on the sofa, grateful for the softness. The long hours standing, and sitting upright in the chair behind his desk had been unkind to his ageing bones. That was not the news he wanted to hear. "We're back to square one then until the footage from those CCTV cameras comes in."

Maura furrowed her brows in confusion. "I thought that Frost had found a location on Kate's ex? Is that not a lead?"

Korsak let his head drop. "Negative. I made a call to the police department of the city he lived in, in an attempt to get any information on him until we can make sure it's safe enough to drive up there. The bastard could still be hanging around there for all we know."

Maura remained silent as she tried to ignore the bile rising in her throat. She tried not to think that the person who had ripped out such a big whole in their world was still out there, waiting for them to make their next move. Korsak continued in her silence, "he's dead, Maura. Same as the father."

Maura wasn't sure how much more she could take. _It's just one dead end after another. How much_ more disappointment and hurt are _we going to have to endure?_

A silence had settled over the two when Maura suddenly whipped her head up in panic. The sharp movement had caught Korsak's eye and the sheer terror in the woman's gaze made his own blood turn cold. "What is it, Maura?"

"Korsak this person has killed four people, one of them a detective. They're dangerous and out for Jane… And we don't know where Jane is! Korsak, we need to find her! We need to make sure she's safe!"

Maura was starting to panic, but Korsak knew she was right. "Maura, listen to me. You need to try and calm down. I'll go out and try to find her." Seeing Maura grabbing her coat and keys, he moved to intercept her. "No Maura you need to stay here. You know what the note said. Whoever is doing this is using the people Jane loves to get to her. We need to protect those around her just as much as Jane herself, and I have a gun. I stand more chance out there than you do. You need to try and get in touch with her. Keep trying her phone." And with that he was out the door and gone, an urgency in his step, and Maura was alone in her office.

Fighting hard against tears, Maura forced herself into action. She dialled Jane's number again and again, and every time she was put through to voicemail. _I can't just sit here and do nothing. Jane is missing and in danger. Why didn't you go after her earlier! You're supposed to be her best friend!_

And so resolute in her decision, Maura grabbed her keys and ran as fast as she could down to the underground parking, with every intention of finding Jane.

Only she never made it to her car.

She was mere inches from the door to her Prius when pain exploded in her head, and the world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN- Hey guys! I'm sorry for how long it's taken me to get this out, illness has kept me from continuing. I know this chapter isn't great but I just wanted to give you guys _something_ so I thought I'd start aiming us towards** **rizzles a bit in this one** **, and I'm already working on the next chapter.**

 **Thank you to those who have commented. Honestly, your comments give me life! Much love guys 3**

 **I own nothing and all mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Jane was sat in a bar on the very outskirts of Boston. It was an area far outside of her usual habitat, and that suited the detective just fine. She knew that at some point they would go for looking for her and she had no intention of being found by her friends and family. She also knew that The Dirty Robber, where she usually chose to sit and drown her sorrows in beer, was a favourite amongst the BPD officers who had undoubtedly heard of Frost's passing and she had no desire to be overwhelmed with commiserations and condolences. So instead, she sat alone at a booth tucked away in the corner of a bar she couldn't remember the name of, in an area where nobody knew her name and her troubles.

She knew that being so far away from home and alone was a bad idea. She knew that she was putting herself at unnecessary risk, but Jane couldn't bring herself to face anyone. Jane Rizzoli is a brave, proud woman who had fought hard to prove herself strong and situate herself so firmly in the man's world that was police work. As far as everyone knew, Jane Rizzoli had no weaknesses. But right now, she was breaking, and with every minute that passed, it seemed she was one step closer to total destruction. It wouldn't take long for people to start treating her like the ticking time bomb she was becoming.

She also knew that everyone she had a link to was in danger and as much as they tried to hide it, she knew that they were all very much aware of that too. Fear would be there, lurking beneath the pity and comfort, in the eyes of everyone she loved. Fear of their connection to her.

 _Love. An emotion so strong and powerful that we can physically feel it. And it is precisely that which makes it so dangerous. No bullet will ever have anything on love that has been twisted and corrupted into fear and torment. We pour so much of ourselves into the bonds forged in love, which makes it the ultimate weapon. A personalised tool of destruction._

Her solitude had been interrupted only once, by a drunken imbecile who had slid into her booth, under the guise of checking everything was okay and offering to buy her another drink. Jane had ignored him, hoping that he would get the hint but having received no rejection, the blithering idiot had slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. After a piercing stare and a flash of her badge and gun, he was soon out of her booth, and Jane was certain the only thing preventing him from actually running away was his level of intoxication.

She had gone to the bar to escape the torment, buying beer after beer in the desperate hope of numbing her mind. But it had proved futile, as images of Kate and Frost continued to batter her mind and the words on that note from the killer were now seared onto the insides of her eyelids, a permanent reminder of everything she had lost and everything she stood to lose. This has led to various images of her family and friends swimming before her eyes, each one of them found in the same manner they had found Kate, each with eyes full of blame looking directly into her own.

Despite the depressant she was consuming, Jane's mind had not stopped whirling for even a second. One sentence in particular swam unceasingly through her thoughts. " _And by someone you thought you knew." It doesn't fucking add up. The only other suspect we have is Kate's ex, but I didn't know the abusive son of a bitch. He has no connection to me at all, so who the fuck is behind this. It has to be someone who knew I had a connection to Kate, but I can count those on one hand. And I'll be damned if it's any of those._ Shaking her head to stop the disturbing turn her thoughts had taken, Jane raised her head and was surprised to see that it was dark outside. _How long have I been here?_

The sky was unbelievingly dark, an inky blackness so dense that Jane didn't know how to describe it. It was a moonless night, making the world one giant shadow. _A reflection of my life_ , Jane thought.

But it wasn't the cowering moon or the inexpressible darkness that caught Jane's attention. It was the lone star that had situated itself in the centre of the sky, refusing to be squashed out by the surrounding darkness. It was shining with an unnatural brightness, and Jane thought it was beautiful. _If the sky is my life, what or who is the star?_

Jane's attention was drawn from the outside world when her phone rang and her screen illuminated with Jane's favourite picture of Maura. The doctor had her head thrown backwards and was laughing at something that Jane couldn't remember. She had been too mesmerised by the sheer magnificence of Maura Isles to pay any attention to anything else, and the detective had had just enough brain power to snap the photo. Maura radiated beauty, and that one photograph had captured it perfectly.

Jane's fingers absentmindedly caressed the screen, and continued their dance long after the call had disconnected and the image of her friend had disappeared, once again lost in her thoughts of Maura. The doctor was increasingly becoming the occupant of her thoughts, and Jane had noticed herself becoming more and more aware of the other woman. The two had been instantly close from the moment their friendship was born and had always been very in tune with each other. She wasn't entirely sure Maura knew, but Jane was very much aware of the rumours going around BPD about the 'true' status of their relationship, and she knew that being rather touchy-feely with each other did nothing but fuel the fire.

Jane Rizzoli absolutely detested rumours. In her fight to get where she was now, Jane had learnt that reputation was everything and that the slightest bad word from shit-stirrers could bring your world crashing down around you. But what was interesting to Jane was that she had made no effort to stop the rumours. She allowed her relationship with Maura to go on as usual, well aware of the fact that like dividing bacteria, the longer the rumours were left to incubate, the more obvious they would become and the quicker they would spread.

The touch of the doctor meant comfort and safety, and recently every touch left Jane wanting more. Every dazzling smile warmed the detective from the inside out, and Jane's heart danced in her chest every time the M.E. walked into a room.

There was no question about it. Jane was falling for her best friend.

 _And that was exactly why I need to push her away. I'm just putting her in more danger and she deserves better than that. I won't let her get hurt because of me._

Her phone rang again, twice, and Jane didn't answer either call. Maura had been calling all day at various intervals and had left several messages, but the detective hadn't responded to any of them. Jane frowned slightly at how quickly the last three calls had come after one another, seemingly with greater urgency than the calls Maura had tried throughout the day. _She's probably just really pissed at me by now._

Jane decided it was late enough by now, and they would have gotten the message she didn't want to be found and stopped looking, making it safe enough to go home. She asked the barman to call a cab, and spent the ride home praying the alcohol would work its magic enough to allow her at least a few hours of decent sleep. The last two days had taken their toll on her and she was more tired than she had ever been. But she knew that restful sleep was out of the question until this case was closed and the bastard who had targeted her and those around her was arrested. _Or dead,_ Jane thought.

Paying the cabbie, Jane slipped out and started towards her door, only to be stopped by a familiar voice that she had no desire to listen to. Letting out a groan of frustration, Jane turned to watch the silhouette of a man emerge from his car.

"What do you want, Korsak?"

"I want to know you're alright! We've been trying to reach you all day, and I've been looking for you for nearly an hour now!"

"Wasn't it obvious enough I wanted to be alone? That if I wanted to speak to anyone, I would have answered one of your goddamn calls?"

"Hey, don't take this out on me. I know you're hurting Jane, we all are. But you can't just take off like that when there's someone out to get you! They've already killed four people, Jane! They are extremely dangerous and you could've walked straight into their hands and we wouldn't have even known! Mau–"

"Wait, wait did you say four people?" Jane interrupted, trying to wrap her alcohol hazed brain around the maths. "Kate, Frost, the father – who was the fourth Korsak? Oh god. Korsak, please tell me it's not one of my family! Or Maura! Korsak –"

By now Jane's face had gone white as snow, and panic was written across her features. "No Jane, calm down. It was Kate's ex. State police of his area informed us that he died in hospital from severe stab wounds. They tried to save him but by the time he was found, he had already lost too much blood." Jane closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her raging heart. Korsak continued, "Jane you need to call Maura and tell her you're okay. She's worried sick about you."

Guilt flooded through Jane, and with a trembling hand, whether from emotion or the alcohol she wasn't sure, and dialled Maura's number. When the call rang off, Jane frowned and tried again.

"She's not answering, I must have really pissed her off."

"Try her office phone, I tried her to stay put while I went to find you."

When the office phone turned out to be a dead, Jane tried Maura's house phone which also went unanswered. By now, her heart was racing and panic had settled firmly in her chest, squeezing the air out her lungs. Maura had never ignored a call from Jane, no matter how much she annoyed the doctor. Jane forced herself into action, running for the door to her car. She had one leg in the driver's side when Korsak's voice penetrated the bubble of fear that had sealed itself around her.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

"Korsak, she's not answering! I've tried every number I have for her! I have to make sure she's okay!"

"Jane, you can't –"

"What do you mean I can't? Maura is in trouble, I can feel it!"

"Jane, listen. You-"

"I'm going to her office to find her, Korsak, and there's nothing you can do to stop m–"

"JANE! Will you shut up a minute and let me finish." Jane glared at Korsak's tone but remained silent. "I wasn't going to stop you, I was just going to say you can't drive. You've had god knows how many drinks and I won't let you get behind that wheel. So get your ass out of your car and get in mine. I'll take us to the precinct." Jane was annoyed that Korsak had shouted at her like she was a child but said nothing as she followed the older detective to his car.

They rode in silence, and with every minute that passed fear tightened its grip on Jane's already battered heart, her thoughts never moving from the woman who meant so much to her.

"Jane the doc's car is still here, so she musn't have left."

The sight of the blue Prius, parked perfectly in its usual space in the exact manner they had left it when they arrived that morning, should have calmed Jane's raging emotions, should have assuaged her fears.

But it didn't. The dread never left Jane as she sprinted, albeit a bit wobbly, towards the ME's office, leaving Korsak behind, struggling to keep up. She hurtled towards the door, only to have her face collide with the hard, wooden surface. Pain erupted in her nose, and the taste of blood filled her mouth as a steady stream began almost immediately.

Susie Chang, one of Maura's favourite minions as Jane liked to call them, came running from the lab at the noise Jane had made.

"Detective Rizzoli, what's going- Oh my, look at your nose! Are you okay?"

"Susie, have you seen Dr Isles?"

Between the pain, the alcohol and Susie's arrival, it took the detective a while to realise what that collision with the door meant, and when she did, Jane's heart dropped like a stone.

 _It's locked. She only ever locks it if she's …_

"I saw her leave about an hour or so. I think she was looking for you, detective."

Korsak arrived, sweaty and panting, just in time to see the raven-haired detective crumple to the floor.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN- Here you go my lovelies, another chapter to make up for taking so long to upload the last one. This one gets a bit darker (if this story wasn't already dark enough) with descriptions of violence. I swear this story will be the death of me!**

 **Please keep leaving your lovely reviews! Thank you all for the wonderful comments and Terri411, your enthusiasm for this story never ceases to make me smile!**

 **I own nothing and all mistakes are my own**

* * *

Jane woke slowly, not immediately recognising where she was. She could feel sunlight across her face, and kept her eyes firmly closed. She forced her mind to take notice of her other senses, but the building headache was making it difficult. Her mind refused to cooperate, so she moved slightly ensuring her face was out of the sunlight. With a great effort, Jane cracked one eye open, letting out a groan of pain as she battled to overcome her sensitivity to the minimal light in the room.

Jane took in her surroundings, taking an inventory of the room and checking it against her memories. White bedding, the dark curtains, the old vanity table against the right wall. _My room. I'm in my room, in my apartment._ With a start, Jane realised she couldn't remember how she'd ended up in her bed.

The detective sat up and swung her legs onto the floor, immediately regretting her decision has her head protested against the sudden movement. She was aware of her desperate need to pee, and she stood and padded her way to the bathroom, moving much more slowly, this time, still fighting to reclaim her memories of the previous night. She had been making good progress in her quest and had made it to the bathroom, but it was considerably brighter than her room and hallway had been, and as the light assaulted her eyes, nausea swept through Jane causing her stumble.

Her hands flew to the sink in order to catch herself, and in her frenzy, she knocked off the various things that sat on the ledge just above her sink. Her eye's settled on the toothbrush that Maura kept at Jane's apartment for their impromptu sleepovers, just as Jane had one in the doctor's bathroom. It had fallen into the corner full of cobwebs that Jane had been meaning to clean for the last God knows how long. _Dammit. I guess I'll have to buy Maura a new toothbrush…_

As Jane bent to retrieve the fallen toothbrush, the memories that had been avoiding her came hurtling to the forefront of her mind.

"Maura…"

Maura was missing. Her car was still at the precinct, but she was nowhere in the building. Korsak had driven her to Maura's house but the doctor wasn't there either. She wasn't answering any calls, and Jane had made so many. She hadn't known what else to do, so she had sat curled in a ball on Maura's sofa, phone clutched in her hand as if it was her only link to Maura. She still couldn't remember how she'd got home, she could only guess that Korsak had somehow brought her home. But that didn't matter, Maura was missing.

The tears came unbidden, and great sobs tore through her throat in the rush to escape. She sunk to her knees and knees, the pain in her head only a shadow of that in her heart. Arms encircled her and she was pulled against a chest as kisses were pressed into her hair.

"Maura?" she croaked.

"No baby, it's me. It's going to be okay, baby."

"Ma, she's gone."

"Shh baby, it's okay."

"Maura's m-missing."

Angela's heart was in pieces. Her baby was in so much pain, and it killed her to witness it. She looked down at the woman in her arms. It wasn't her daughter. It wasn't the brave and stubborn Jane Rizzoli that she was so proud of. This woman was a stranger, and Angela was scared that Jane would never recover from the heartache she had endured these last few days.

"I know baby, but we're gonna find her. She's family, and Rizzoli's never give up on family. We will find her, Jane."

* * *

Maura came to in stages and fear flooded her system. The fire in her head made her sluggish and she knew she didn't have the strength to even open her eyes. The air was thick and Maura found it difficult to breathe, each intake of air resulting in a coughing fit. She was lying on her back against a hard and unforgiving surface, and she was cold, a chill that she could feel in her bones. Her mind came back to her slowly, but eventually she had gathered enough brain power to form coherent thoughts. Simple, but coherent.

 _I must be on the floor. Where am I? And what's on my wrist?_

She made an attempt to sit up but the dizziness was overwhelming and nausea came over her immediately. She fought the urge to throw up, swallowing desperately against the bile rising in her throat but her efforts were futile, and she turned her head to the side to avoid vomiting all over herself. Her head was pounding, and she could feel the swelling on the right side of her face. She knew that a bruise was already forming and it was going to be a nasty one. A stinging above her right eye told her that she had a laceration, one that was probably going need to stitches if it was linked to the pain in her head.

Finally, the doctor gathered enough strength to open her eyes. She forced her fear down and took in her surroundings. She had been correct in her assessment of her position. She was lying on the stone floor of a small, dimly lit room. There was dust everywhere, which explained the difficulty she was having breathing. She strained her head to look for a window but found none, the only source of light coming from a solitary, flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling, which looked like it would go out any minute now.

 _No window? Underground maybe? A basement? And the dust, no one has been here for years. How is anyone going to find me here?_

There was only one piece of furniture. An old wooden table sat in the middle of the room, covered with a plastic sheet. There was something on the table, but from her position on the floor, Maura couldn't tell what it was. Maura's eyes flicked to her wrist, and her fear increased tenfold when she realised that her right hand was handcuffed to an old pipe. Logic abandoned her and she tugged against her restraints as if she could simply pull her hand out of its holdings. She didn't cease her struggle until she heard a key turn in a lock, and the door swing open, its old hinges screaming in protest.

The door was tucked away in the corner of the room, and Maura couldn't see it from where she lay. As she couldn't see her captor enter the room, Maura was forced to listen to the harsh sound of boots on the stone floor, a sound so similar to one she heard every day, when Jane came stalking down the corridor.

 _Boots… Jane… They must be a wom…_

Her thoughts were finished when the face of a woman appeared in Maura's line of vision. The woman was about the same as Maura, with hair blonde hair cut at her shoulders. Her eyes were incredibly dark but not in the way that Jane's were. This woman's eyes were cold and held nothing but malice. No, not like Jane's at all.

 _Jane…_

Maura flinched as a hand latched onto her hair, and she was dragged into a sitting position like nothing more than a ragdoll.

"My, my doctor. Don't you look dreadful? And usually so stylish! Tell me, does it hurt?"

Maura couldn't hold her cry of pain in as the dark-eyed woman pushed her thumb against the cut on Maura's forehead, pulling the edges of the wound open again. Maura ignored the blood that began to trickle down the side of her face. "Who are you?"

"That's of no concern to you, doctor. Let's do something about that face of yours, shall we?" The hand returned to her hair, holding her head in place as the other formed a fist and collided with her left eye. Her head snapped backwards with the force of the punch and smashed against the wall behind her with a sickening crack. "It's a shame really, you had such a pretty face. But at least now you'll look a little more… symmetrical."

Maura couldn't say anything, she was in too much pain. She could only watch as the woman went to retrieve the objects from the table that Maura had noticed earlier. Now she was sitting, Maura could see it was and the blood drained from her face. Her captor caught the look of fear on Maura's face and a malicious grin formed on her own.

"Now doctor, let's have a bit more fun before we update your detective and show her how you're doing, shall we?" the woman said playfully, as she pressed the knife into the skin of Maura's neck, not deep enough to be fatal, just enough pressure to draw a little blood. Maura knew what this would do to Jane. She knew what that cut would remind her of.

 _Jane. Stay strong. Please find me._

 _I need you._

 _Jane…_

* * *

Angela opened the door to a very tired looking Korsak, a case file tucked under his arm. The events of the last few days had hit everyone hard, and it was showing in the detective's features.

"Morning Vince"

"Morning Angela, how's Jane?"

"Take a look for yourself." Angela moved to the side, and both pairs of eyes fell on the figure that was sitting on the sofa. Jane was curled up, tightly wrapped in a blanket as if it would protect her from all the horrors of the world. Her eyes were red and puffy, and the dark orbs that were usually so full of emotion were eerily empty, and the purple colour of her swollen nose a direct contrast to the paleness of her face."Thank you for bringing her home and calling me last night, Vince."

"It's nothing, Angela. I had a feeling she was going to need her mother this morning."

"She did." Angela looked at him through tear-filled eyes. "How are you holding up?"

Korsak ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Not well, but I'm managing. This is hard on all of us, and the sooner we get Maura back and this son of a bitch behind bars the better." Korsak made his way over to Jane and settled himself in the armchair, allowing Angela to sit beside her daughter. "Jane, they found Maura's phone next to her car. It's being checked for prints but we're not hopeful. I know this is the last thing you want to do right now but the sooner we get down to business the sooner we can get Maura home."

Jane sniffled but nodded, knowing the quickest way to get Maura home was to solve the case. "I was thinking yesterday about the note. It said 'by someone I thought I knew' so it must be someone I was fairly close to," she paused a moment, allowing the brutal truth of that sentence to register. She continued, "It also has to be someone who knew I was involved with Kate." Jane fell silent as the grief that always accompanied Kate's name rushed through her, and merely nodded as Korsak asked for if she could write a list of names who fell into those specs.

Her phone buzzed and Jane frowned at the screen. She had received a picture message from a number that was neither in her contacts, nor one she recognised. Opening the message, Jane's heart stopped and the phoned slipped from her hand. Angela picked the phone up and all colour drained from her face.

The entire right side of Maura's face was purple, and her eye was so swollen it was almost shut. A small cut lay just above the doctor's eye, but the blood that ran from it indicated that it was fairly deep. The left side of her face was only slightly better and the outline of a new bruise could be seen around her left eye as if she had been punched there only moments before the photograph. Her hair was matted, and her mouth was open in a silent scream of agony. It was a grotesque sight and one that would haunt Jane for the rest of her days.

But the thing that made Jane's blood run cold, was the cut that ran across her best friend's neck, small scarlet streams running down and disappearing under the neckline of the doctor's dress.

"Jane that looks like…"

"Hoyt," she finished.

It wasn't him. She knew it wasn't him. He was dead. She killed him herself. But the fortress she had built to hide all away all her thoughts and memories pertaining to that bastard had been burnt to ground in the wake of that image.

For Jane, that image was her two worst nightmares rolled into one. The ghost of Hoyt, and Maura hurt.

 _Oh, Maura._


	11. Chapter 11

**AN- Another update, for all you wonderful people who have stuck with the story! This one's a little slow but we're heading into the home straight now so I needed to start setting the ending up and bringing together the loose ends. I'm thinking roughly another 5 or so chapters, but I haven't finished writing it yet, so who knows? Keep the comments coming, I love hearing from you all!**

 **I own nothing and all mistakes are my own**

* * *

Smack!

 _Come on, Rizzoli! Pull yourself together!_

Smack!

 _Stop crying and toughen the fuck up! She's depending on you! Get yourself together and do your fucking job._

Another hard punch lands on the bag, sending it swinging backwards before coming towards her again. Her unprotected knuckles are an angry red, but Jane can't feel the pain she knows she should feel. She can't feel anything for the anger that flows through her, unceasingly. Anger at the world. Anger at the person behind this. Anger at herself. She brings her knee up and slams into the punching bag, cursing the tears that fall down her cheeks.

 _You got her into this mess, you've gotta get her out. It doesn't matter whether she'll hate you afterwards. It doesn't matter whether she blames you. The least you can do is get her out of there!_

The buzzing of her phone interrupted her thoughts, and with an elbow and fist combination she sent the bag reeling backwards one final time. She ran her towel across her face and neck, looking at the caller I.D before answering.

"Hey, Korsak."

"Hey, Jane. We, er… the footage came through from…"

"From Frost's crash." Jane can almost feel the man flinch.

Korsak lets out a sigh and then continues, "Yeah. Do you want me to email it over to you?"

"No. I'm coming in. Give me-"

"Jane, are you sure that's a good idea?"

She can hear the pity in his voice, and anger flashes through her at his words. "Korsak, don't fucking pity me. I've already lost two people I loved, and I'll be damned if I let the same happen to Maura. I need to find her, and the best place to do that is at the precinct with all the files and the video footage and the equipment we have there. So I. am. coming. in." The last words were punctuated with a brief silence between them, ensuring Korsak knew better than to argue with her. She heard him let out a long sigh.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry Jane, I just don't want you upset any more than you are, you're suffering enough pain."

 _I deserve the pain. Two people are dead and Maura is being abused because of me,_ she thought. But what she said was, "I'll be over in thirty minutes," and then hung up the phone without waiting for Korsak's reply, heading towards her bathroom.

Jane hated her reflection. It showed too much, revealed too many things. The pale skin, the dark rings under her eyes, the red puffiness of their rims, the new lines etched on her face that seem to have appeared over the last few days.

Exhaustion. Pain. Guilt. _No wonder Korsak pities you._

 _Maura. Think about Maura._

Steeling herself, Jane started the shower, making it as hot as she could stand. She let the water roll over her, taking with it the sweat and the tears, hoping it would cleanse her of the self-pity and the pain, and rid her of any evidence of just how close to the breaking-point she was. Her anger never left her, though, or rather, she never allowed it too. She clung to it, knowing that it was the only thing fuelling her resolve to go to the precinct.

She didn't want to go back. The precinct had once felt like home as much as her apartment had. Now the building was nothing more than that, a building. A building that would make the absence of two extremely important people very obvious. One of them who would never walk through those doors again.

 _And it will be the same for Maura if you don't catch this son of a bitch. You need to do this for Frost. You need to save Maura._

She knocked off the shower, towelled herself dry and dressed, refusing the temptation to crawl back into bed and hide from the world. She could do this.

Jane had just picked up her keys from the hook by her front door when Angela appeared bearing coffee and food.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going into work."

Angela paused for a moment, taking in her daughter. Jane met her mother's eyes resolutely, but could not help squirming under her gaze. She may have freshened up and she may have put on a brave face, but she knew her mother would see through her bravado, even if the bags under her eyes and the pain in her dark orbs didn't give her away. It was as Angela had always said, _a mother always knows._

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Anger and indignation flared up once more, and Jane clutched it with both hands. "I swear to God I'm going to shoot the next person who asks me that!"

Her mother was at her side in an instant, discarding the coffee and the plate on the nearest surface. "Jane, calm down."

"No! I'm tired of sitting around, doing nothing Ma. Kate and Frost are dead, and Maura has been abducted. All because some bastard wants to mess with me! I owe it to them to do something and I can't do that here, feeling sorry for myself."

"Janie, you're not feeling sorry for yourself, you're grieving! You haven't given yourself any time to mourn-"

"There isn't any time Ma! Maura has been taken, and every second I waste sitting around here is another second I'm closer to losing her for good."

"Janie, you're in pain. You're not thinking strai-"

Jane whirled away from her mother and spoke with such venom that Angela took a step backwards. "Don't you get it?! Sitting around and crying, break down into thousands of pieces, giving in – that's exactly what that sick son of a bitch wants. I'd be letting them win! Frost and Kate deserve more than that! Yes, I am in pain but this is nothing compared to what I'll feel if I lose Maura! I won't let her down!" Her outburst had exhausted her, and Jane deflated. "I can't lose her, Ma. I need her." It was said so softly, that Angela almost missed it.

Almost, but she didn't. She had heard it, and all arguments she had, left her. It was in that moment that Angela recognised the words her daughter wasn't saying. To anyone else, Jane's eyes held nothing but pain and heartbreak. But Angela could see it. Every time her daughter spoke of the doctor, it was there, hidden behind the grief. Love.

 _A mother always knows._

Angela closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around the detective, delighted when she felt the strong arms close around her in response. "I'm sorry I doubted you, baby. It's nice to see some fight in you, I thought it had gone. She is your strength, don't let them take that from you. Hold her in your heart, let her guide you and don't stop until you find her. You'll figure this out. Now go and do your job, and bring her back to us. Find her, and make yourself whole again."

Jane's arms tightened around her. She had said so much in those words, and she knew Jane had heard her. She willed the tears from her eyes, as Jane pulled back, refusing to be anything but strong for her daughter.

Jane was inexplicably grateful for her mother in that moment. No matter how many times she complained about the older woman, when it came to it she knew her mother would always be there, would always be the rock that supported her.

"I love you, Ma."

"I love you too, baby."

The detective smiled at her mother, a true one, and the first one in what felt like forever to Jane. She turned and left, making her way to the precinct, mentally preparing herself for long hours that awaited her, for she wouldn't stop until Maura was safe, and the person who started this was dealt with.

She still looked awful. She was still haunted by guilt and anguish, grief and pain, and still only a shadow of what she was before. But the Jane Rizzoli that everyone knew was still in there, still fighting against the darkness. The bastard hadn't extinguished that light yet.

Jane arrived at the precinct with a strength she hadn't felt since all of this had started. She paused only for the briefest of moments on the steps, before forcing herself onwards. She'd ignored all the whispering and the poorly concealed stares, and made up into the bullpen without too many issues. But standing by her desk, Jane could feel her resolve slipping. She was staring at Frost's unoccupied desk, and his absence reminded her painfully of Maura's. The emptiness was palpable, so much so that it could have been its very own person. One that assaulted her, willing her to give in to the tears and the pain. Her mother's words elbowed their way through the doubt and to the front of her mind.

 _She is your strength, don't let them take that from you._

Gritting her teeth and closing her mind off, Jane made her way into BRIC to wait for Korsak. He arrived only shortly after, and soon they had the CCTV footage on the big screen, allowing Jane to focus on something other than her thoughts. Six video feeds played, but only one had caught the collision. Jane fought hard not to vomit as she watched the hardened 4x4 slam head on into the front of Frost's car. Images of Frost thrown around like a ragdoll played across her mind's eye, and it took all her will not to flee the room.

Instead, she enlarged the feed so it was the only one on the screen and set it to play from a minute before the accident. She watched the two vehicles collide, watched as Frost's car crumpled in on itself while the other came off with nothing more than a dent. She paused the feed, looking closely at the vehicle that had claimed the life of her friend. There weren't any plates, but it had been very obviously modified. Tubular steel bars and metal sheets had been welded together in a way that effectively gave the car an outer shell. One that would take any damage, protecting the car and its occupant.

"Well, that's a vehicle that's gonna stand out. I'll put a BOLO out on it. Even without any plates, if it's around someone will see it and call it in," Korsak said.

Jane didn't reply, just nodded her agreement and continued the video. They watched as the driver's side door opened and a woman climbed out, with something clutched in her hand. She approached the wreckage, laying the items out before returning to her vehicle and making her exit. Disgust and anger flooded through Jane as she slammed her hands down on the keys, rewinding and then pausing the footage at a point where they could best see the woman. Unfortunately, the video proved to be little help in identifying her.

"She knows where the camera is," Jane growled. "Not once does she show her face to the camera, and she picked the spot where only one camera can see, all the other cameras overlap in some way."

"Well, let's think about we know. We know she's a woman, probably about five foot five, shoulder length hair…"

"It's hard to tell with the black and white image, but I'd say the lightness means her hair is probably blonde."

Korsak sighed and ran a hand across his face. "It's not a lot to go on. Do you know anyone on your list who fits that description?"

Jane shook her head. "No. But it's been a long time since I've seen any of those and it's not hard to change your appearance."

"We can narrow our suspect pool down with gender. So once we've crossed off the men how many names are we down to?"

Jane took out a piece of paper from her pocket, unfolded it and crossed off names that were no longer of importance to them, handing it to Korsak. She didn't need it. She knew those names too well to need reminding. Three names. The murderer of her past girlfriend and one of her closest friends was on that list. The abductor and abuser of the woman she loved. Three names.

Isabella Potter

Paige Morgan

Tori Hudson


	12. Chapter 12

**AN- Hi guys! I can only apologise for how long it has been since my last update. I've had a really shitty few months with a messy breakup, deaths in the family, friend issues and uni starting again. I will try and be somewhat regular with these last few chapters, but I can't promise anything because I'm still having a lot of motivation issues with everything, to be honest with you. I just want to thank those of you who will stick with me and this story, I love you all!**

 **I own nothing but my own characters.**

* * *

Maura woke with a groan. Pain flooded her entire body, and weariness gripped her every bone. She no longer remembered how long she'd been here, the hours blended together in a blur, and with no window to see outside, she had no way of determining what time of day it was. She had been given no food at all since arriving and she was desperately hungry. Maura thought back to the last time she had eaten, and _breakfast with Jane_ flashed through her mind, but exhaustion plagued her and she struggled to hold on to any coherent thoughts she managed to form, so she couldn't be sure.

Maura Isles was not the type of person to give up. She knew that's what Jane would say if she was there. But she wasn't, and Maura was painfully aware of how alone she was. She was incredibly weak, with not even enough strength to lift herself into a sitting position. Pain erupted with every movement, no matter how small, and her breath rattled in her chest. She had taken crashing blows and kicks to the ribs, undoubtedly cracking some, and her face had not been allowed to heal. Her hair, now greasy and dirty, had been grabbed and pulled so roughly and so often, that she now sported several bald patches. Cuts littered her body as if her skin was a canvas on which her captor had painted in red, her medium a knife. So many times the doctor had woken to feel of a blade being dragged along, tracing invisible patterns, combining with burns to create her captor's masterpiece. Maura Isles did not give up, but what else was she supposed to do? Everything hurt and she was so tired.

She had tried fighting. She had goaded her abductor, asking question after question about Kate, eyeing the knife in the woman's hand. She had pressed and pressed until the woman had lunged at her with the knife. Maura had kicked out and caught the woman by surprise and the knife had clattered to the floor. For the first time, hope had flared through Maura and with all the strength she could muster, she had swung her foot towards the knife, biting back her scream of pain as her muscles protested against the movement, in a desperate attempt to drag it towards her. But it had been of no use. The blade had been just out of reach and no matter how much she fought and struggled, Maura couldn't get a grip on it. She had failed, and it had been a big mistake. She had angered her tormenter and now she sat slumped against the cold, dirty wall, with a huge gash across the entire left side of her face, and a broken right wrist.

Maura had always been a realist, and right now she knew she couldn't handle the pain for much longer. It was agony, and the increasing black spots in her vision told her that she was slipping away. With the amount of blood she had lost, Maura wasn't sure how many more times she would be able to wake up.

* * *

Jane sat at her desk, her eyes trained on the board that would haunt her for the rest of her life. It was a sight she detested. A sight that made her stomach churn and her head pound. Kate's face was still there, as were the photos of her father and the ex-boyfriend, but now they were joined by three others. Three faces that she never thought she would see on her own case board. The work I.D. photos of Maura, Frost and herself were now taped to the board, and it took everything she had to restrain herself from ripping them down.

Jane hated the photos that had been used for Frost and Maura. As they were used for identification, neither of them were smiling, and their eyes were devoid of emotion. She missed the infectious smile of her partner and the way that Maura's eyes would sparkle as she divulged some information that no one else other than Maura would know. It made the detective's heart ache to look at the blank and vacant faces of two people she loved dearly, and every cell in her body was calling for her to run from the sight.

Exhaustion wracked her body, It had been a long time since the brunette had slept well, with the exception of the night she had laid wrapped in the arms of Maura, and even that had been for a few hours only. The thought plunged her into the memory of waking to her nose buried in the blonde's hair, her arms secured tightly around the small waist. She longed to wrap the smaller woman up in a hug, to smell the scent that was just so Maura, to tell her she loved her and that no one would ever hurt her again.

Korsak stood in the doorway, reluctant to intrude on Jane. The dark haired detective was lost in her thoughts, a small and sad smile on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes, though they sparkled slightly brighter than they had in days. Those dark eyes were fixed on the doctor's photo one could see the emotion warring in them. Love and sadness battled for dominance, and the sharp angular features of the brunet shifted I their portrayal of the silent fight.

He felt awful watching Jane in such a private moment, but Korsak found he couldn't tear his eyes away. Jane was normally so closed off, no one outside of Maura ever being allowed access to her emotions. But here, in this moment, Jane was an open book, and it was unbelievingly sad to watch the emotions that currently played across the face of the detective, knowing the situation that had drawn them out. Korsak had suspected it for a while, but watching her like that, her eyes never leaving the doctor's face, it was there for all to see that Jane had fallen in love with Maura. He hoped beyond belief that once this was all over, Jane would learn to trust her heart again. She had lost so many people she loved, but God knows she deserves the happiness that Maura could offer her.

It was with great reluctance that Korsak made is presence known, and immediately the mask of Detective Rizzoli was back in place, concealing all the emotions that had flowed so freely before. Jane's dark orbs settled on Korsak, waiting for him to reveal whatever it was that he had come to tell her.

Korsak let out a sigh, and said, "Intel on our suspects is in. Two out of the three have alibis for the times of all the murders."

All three of the suspects had permanent addresses outside of BPDs jurisdiction, and so Korsak had contacted their local authorities, asking for all available information and requested for interviews to be conducted, in order to establish their whereabouts at the times of the murder.

"Who is the one who doesn't have an alibi? And why aren't they in one of our interview rooms?"

"Paige Morgan." Korsak paused as a flash of pain spread across Jane's face for a second. He couldn't imagine how hard it must be to hear that your childhood friend has become the number one suspect in the murder of two people you loved and the abduction of another. "And we don't have her in interrogation because we don't know where she is. Local Authorities couldn't locate her, and friends and family have said that they haven't seen her for a week or so."

Jane put her head in hands as she thought about the timeline they had been working on. "A week? That's just before all of this started. Did they say where she'd gone?"

"Yes."

Jane picked her head up from her hands and looked at Korsak, defeat and tiredness showing around the edges of her eyes. "She's in Boston, isn't she?"

"Yes."

The two remained in silence for a moment, Jane attempting to control her thoughts and Korsak at a complete loss for words. The older detective had no idea what to say to make this easier on Jane, nor was he sure that was even possible. After a few minutes, Jane broke the tense silence.

"Did her friends and family say anything else?"

"They said that she had seemed a little… unhinged lately. She had recently lost her job and her girlfriend had broken up with her days after. They said that she had been a bit erratic in her behaviour."

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to dispel the building tension. "Phone records?"

"They show that she had recently made contact with Kate. There were many phone calls, that after a while started to go unanswered by Kate."

"Can we trace her phone?"

"We were able to trace it up until a week ago, when –"

"When she came to Boston", Jane finished for him. "Has she used any credit cards over here?"

"Not that we have been able to find."

Jane took a deep breath and stood up, rubbing her hands across her face. Korsak watched as the younger detective paced, waiting for her to sort out the millions of conflicting thoughts he imagined were flying through her head in that moment.

Jane found herself in front of the window, looking across the Boston city streets. Jane had thought that time would begin to blur into itself, passing by as shapeless as the rain that trickled down the glass. But it wasn't. Jane was very much aware of how long it had been since Maura had been taken, and how quickly it had slipped by them. It was close to sunrise, and the sky was gradually fading from dark to light, an orange haze highlighting the city with a golden aura. It should have been breathtakingly beautiful, to see the city awakening bathed in the rays of the barely there sun, but Jane hated it. To the raven-haired detective, it was just another sign of failure. Another reminder of the time that had passed them by, another day gone without Maura.

The doctor loved to sit and watch the sun rise. She woke up early every morning to see the city come alive under the warm rising orb. She had woken Jane up many times, begging the detective to watch with her, insisting that it was such a beautiful sight. Jane had agreed, it was a beautiful sight, but it wasn't the sunrise that she was referring too. Jane would watch the smaller women in those moments. She would watch how the early morning light would dance across her face, watch how the hazel eyes sparkled in awe at the natural beauty of the world, whilst Jane would wonder at the natural beauty of the woman next to her.

 _Maura…_

Just then Korsak's computer pinged, startling both detective's from the thoughts. Scanning the screen, Korsak said, "We've got a hit on that BOLO."


	13. Chapter 13

**AN- Hey again guys! Sorry, I'm still taking forever with the chapters, please don't hate me. We're heading into the final stretch now!**

 **Happy reading!**

 **I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

Jane looked out of the car window in disgust. The motel was one of those places, where gross, seedy men went to have a little fun with the wives of other men, a place for drug dealers and pimps. Weeds sprouted through the cracks in the concrete, beer cans and cheap take-out boxes littered the path to the entrance, grime and dirt covered the windows, and an old rusted 'no vacancies' sign hung down on one side, swinging in the light wind. If it wasn't for the few cars dotted around the parking lot, Jane would have been inclined to assume that the motel had shut down years ago. As she looked upon the cars, the detective noted that they wouldn't be out of place in a scrap heap. They were decades old, several missing side mirrors, and rusted beyond repair in places.

All except one.

It was so out of place, it was bordering on ridiculous.

"I don't get it," Korsak said as the two exited the car, "why would you just leave it here? In plain sight?"

Without answering, Jane led the older detective through the entrance to the motel, barely registering the bell the sounded as she opened the door. The raven-haired detective could only assume that this was the beginning of the end, and the thoughts both relieved and terrified her. She wants us to find it. It's almost over. But what if I can't save Maura? What if it all ends too late?

Jane was shaken from her thoughts as the receptionist appeared behind the 'welcoming' desk. She was a short woman, with hair messily scraped back and a cigarette dangling from the side of her mouth. Her garish makeup, Jane noticed, was probably the brightest thing in the entire motel. A scowl adorned her features as she looked upon the two detectives. "Didn't ya read the sign? We've got no vacancies."

Jane responded with her own scowl, as she and Korsak flashed their badges at the surly woman. "Actually ma'am, we're detectives with the BPD."

"What're you lot doing here? We ain't done nothing!"

Jane growled, and Korsak stepped forward before the receptionist could push the younger detective any further. "No one is saying you have, Miss…" Korsak paused at he glanced at the woman's name tag, "Fletcher. We are looking for someone, and we have reason to believe they are staying here. Have you seen this woman? Her name is Paige Morgan." Korsak asked, showing Miss Fletcher the photograph of Paige.

The woman flashed eyes across the picture, before looking defiantly at Jane. "Maybe. But if you ain't got a warrant, then I can't help ya. I don't want you hanging round 'ere. It's not good for business-"

Jane's frustration was morphing into anger at the woman's tirade. Slamming a piece of paper down in front of her, Jane levelled a glare at the receptionist, challenging her continue. Immediately the woman's eyes fell to the warrant in front of her, which had been granted once Korsak had called in another one of his favours before she looked back upon the detective in front of her.

Jane smirked in satisfaction at the smaller women, and with a faux politeness said, "Now Miss… Fletcher, was it? If you could be so kind, if Paige does indeed stay here, as we believe her to be, would you mind showing us to her room?"

The woman nodded reluctantly before disappearing into a room behind the desk. She returned with a set of keys in hand and gestured for the detectives to follow her.

The receptionist knocked, and when no answer came, she unlocked the door to room that Paige was renting. The gasp that left her had Korsak raising his gun and pulling the woman behind him. The sight that met his eyes, however, was not what the detective had been expecting. He slid his gun back into his holster, allowing his eyes to scour the room, taking in all the details. "Jane…"

Due to Korsak's position in the doorway, Jane could not into the room, but the way her name fell from the lips of her friend, and the expression of fear on the face of the receptionist made her blood run cold.

"Korsak, what is it?"

Rather than answering, the Korsak simply pulled on his gloves and protective covers for his shoes, and moved further into the room, allowing Jane to see for herself.

As the room came into view, Jane felt her heart drop. Everywhere she looked, there was a piece of her life on view. Pictures of herself, her family and her friends were spread across a desk in the corner and newspaper clippings lined the walls, so many that they could have been the wallpaper, which ranged from articles questioning her ability to solve a case to pieces showering her praise, positioning her as a hero. One section of the wall caught Jane's eye immediately. There was the face of the man who still haunted her dreams at night, the man who even the mere thought of had her hands screaming in pain.

Hoyt.

Article after article, claiming the central spot on the wall opposite the door, mapping the detective's run-ins with the psychopath.

It was disconcerting to see so much of one's own life displayed upon someone else's walls, and to know that it had been constructed by the hands of a murder was significantly more terrifying.

Mechanically, Jane pulled on her gloves and shoe covers. She stepped into the room, her legs moving as if controlled by someone, an irresistible force drawing her in. The sound of her heartbeat filled her ears, as the organ raged around in her chest like a caged animal.

"Jane…" Korsak tried, but words failed him. The older detective had no idea what to say. He placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Jane's shoulder, and said, "if you don't want to be here, I can get someone else in to look through it with me."

Jane shook her head and shifted her attention to the photos and papers on the desk. "Let's just see if we can find something that will lead us to Maura." Korsak gave her an understanding nod and moved to begin his search at the other end of the room, starting with the laptop sitting on the bed.

Jane looked upon the photos of her life, and the people who meant the world to her. Unconsciously, her fingers sought out the photograph of Maura, taking their time to trace the face of the woman who had come to mean so much to her. Jane couldn't shake the feeling that it felt as if she was committing the features to memory, and she took a moment to fight the tears that threatened to spill.

Regaining her composure, the detective shifted through the documents, studying each photograph and piece of paper, imploring them to reveal some clue as to the whereabouts of Maura. Eventually, one photograph caught her eye.

It featured a room consisting of simply an old wooden table, a light dangling from the ceiling, and a series of old piping running along the length of one wall. The small date in the bottom corner told Jane it had been taken a week ago.

Jane quickly pulled her phone out and opened the picture that had been sent to her, fighting the urge to vomit at the reminder of how close she was to losing Maura for good. "Korsak, do you think that these two photographs are the same room?"

The older detective nodded his agreement, "looks like it to me." Korsak watched as the light drained from Jane's eye's again, and they younger woman deflated. "What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter whether the rooms are the same, it brings us no closer to locating Maura." Jane sighed before returning to search. "Did you make any progress with the laptop?"

"No, it's password protected and I couldn't guess it, so I was looking for something that might give us a clue to what it might be. Take a look for yourself if you want."

Jane moved to the bed, and wiggled the mouse, waiting for the screen to light up. When it did, a picture of the harbour filled the screen. For such an expansive view, it must have been taken from the window of a building fairly close, but it was not an angle typical of pictures taken of this part of the harbour, at least not one that Jane was familiar with.

"You're not going to guess the password by just staring at it y'know. I've already tried that." But Korsak's attempt at humour fell on deaf ears. Korsak studied Jane and recognised that look as the one the younger detective has when she's trying to work something out. "What it is? What have you noticed?"

"I don't know, there's something about this photo. I feel like we're missing something obv- Korsak, pass me that photograph I just showed you."

The older detective located the photograph in question before handing it to Jane and watched as his partner's eyes flicked between it and the computer screen. Without warning, the younger detective jumped up and spun to face him.

"Korsak, these photos were taken on the same day. The dates match!"

Taking a moment to confirm this for himself, Korsak turned a questioning gaze on his friend. "Okay… what am I missing?"

"As Maura isn't in this photograph, it must have been taken before she was abducted and-"

"That's assuming she hasn't been moved. It could have been taken afterwards," Korsak interrupted.

"True, but as there's no photographs of any other room or building around that seem to be unrelated to me or my life, unless you found anything?" Korsak shook his head and gestured for Jane to continue. "Then it's safe to assume this was before Maura was taken. What if this was Paige scouting the area? What if this was her planning out what she was going to do and where she was going to do it?"

Jane motioned to the screen of the laptop, "Korsak, if I'm right, this photograph could have been taken from the building where that room is. The building where-"

"Maura is", they said in unison.

For the first time since the ordeal started, Korsak looked up to discover a glimmer of hope in the dark orbs of the younger detective. Exhaustion still clung to her rough features, but finally, a little light had returned to eyes of his friend.

"We need to find that building."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN - I am so sorry about how long it's taking me to get these chapters up. The only excuse I have is that life just downright sucks. I do want to get this story finished though, so even if it takes forever for me to upload a chapter, do not fear me abandoning it because I have no intention to. Since it has taken me so long to upload this one, as a peace offering I am hoping to upload another chapter today.**

 **Thank you to everyone who will stick by me and this story, even though I suck 3**

 **I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

Jane picked her head up from her desk, where it had fallen in exhaustion and frustration. It was getting late and the others had gone to order food for the long night ahead of them. The dark orbs flickered over the blown up map of Boston Harbour she currently had up on her computer screen, before flicking back over the photographs they had taken from Paige's room at the motel.

The team had been attempting to cross reference the angle of the photo with the map, in an effort to pinpoint the building which the photo had been taken from. They had made some progress but the lack of details in the picture made it difficult to narrow down their current list of eight buildings. It would take forever for them to canvas all eight buildings. It was time they didn't have, and most certainly time that Jane didn't want to waste. The longer they went without finding Maura, the closer she was to losing the doctor forever.

The detective reached out for the coffee that Korsak had brought up for her, to replace the previous one, without ever taking her eyes off the map. It was her sixth cup within the space of two hours, but Jane couldn't care less. She needed all the energy she could get at this point. As she brought her hand to her mouth, Jane frowned in confusion when she realised that it wasn't a coffee cup in her hand. Instead, she was holding the action figure that Frost had loved so much.

She wasn't sure how the figurine had ended up on her desk, as she had made sure to everyone that may even possibly need to enter the bullpen that no one was to move anything on Frost's desk. Confusion briefly flashed across her mind, but it was soon masked by an overwhelming sense of loss. She allowed a tear to slip from her eye as she looked at the figure, and remembered the times she had teased the other detective for his obsession with the 'toy'.

Without her permission, her eyes flicked from the action figure to her partner's chair. The sight that met caused her to physically recoil, almost dropping the cherished figure. There, right before her eyes, was a very alive-looking Frost, a face that Jane was only beginning to accept she would never see again.

It was a while before Jane could regain any of her cognitive functions, allowing a few moments to roll by in silence.

"Frost?" Jane eventually ventured. Her question was met by silence. "What's happening? Why are you here?"

Again, Frost ignored her question, simply standing and silently making his way out of the bullpen.

"Hey! Frost!" Jane jumped up from her chair, following ex-partner's path. "Where are you going?"

Frost left BPD, and headed towards the harbour, walking at a pace that even Jane, with her long legs and fast stride, struggled to keep up with, forcing her to jog intermittently to stay close. The raven-haired detective couldn't remember seeing her partner _ever_ move this quickly. Heading down the harbour front, Frost remained as silent as ever, seemingly oblivious to Jane's flushed face and questioning glances, simply carrying on in his relentless pace. Jane reluctantly gave up on attempting to stay by Frost's side, reluctantly falling behind, but never allowing her friend to leave her sight.

Eventually, the pair ended up down on the waterfront, Frost still leading a now panting and exhausted Jane. Despite falling behind her friend, Jane had been forced into a constant fast walk in order to keep track of Frost. Now though, the younger detective had stopped and was simply looking at Jane as though waiting for her to make the next move.

But Jane didn't know what that move was. The raven-haired detective had no idea what was happening and why Frost, who was supposed to be dead may she add, had brought her here.

Unable to meet the constant expecting gaze of her friend any longer and feeling taunted by the buildings that lined the front, Jane moved to the edge of the path that separated land and sea, resting her arms on the bars and allowing her head to bow with closed eyes. She felt the cool, crisp night air wrap around her, causing her skin to prickle into goosebumps and the hairs on arms to stand to attention, like soldiers preparing to march into battle.

She lost track of how long she'd stood like that, as she listened to sounds of the water, considering how easy it would be to fall into the embrace of blue arms and to end this nightmare. She listened to the sounds of a sleeping city, interrupted only by giggling of children and slapping of feet against the path.

 _Wait. Children?_

It was very late in the night, so late you could say they were into the early hours in the morning.

 _There's no reason for children to be down on the harbour front at this time._

Jane's eyes snapped open as she turned her back to the water. Frost remained in the position he had been when they arrived here, still looking only at her, with the same expectant levelled on her. But something had caught Jane's attention.

Running past them was a young, blonde haired girl, no more than the age of 12, giggling as she was chased by a dark curly haired girl of what seemed to be the same age.

"Hey!" Jane shouted, "What are you doing out here at this time?"

But the two girls continued on, giggling at each other as if they hadn't heard Jane at all. Deciding to follow them, Jane watched as the pair stopped in front of a building that clearly hadn't been entered in a while if the boarded windows and the giant rusted lock on the door were anything to go by. The building wasn't the biggest, compared to some of the others that lined the street, but it had an intimidating air around it that the others lacked. Its dark wooden planks across the windows gave it a fierce look of warning.

 _Something's not right here. Why does this building seem familiar?_

Jane's internal musings were interrupted by voices. "So many buildings down here are abandoned," said the young raven haired girl.

"We should totally try and get into one. I think this one would be pretty easy to get into," replied the blonde one. As she surveyed the building, Jane decided she did not like the devilish gleam she could in the young girl's eye.

There was a moment of silence as the dark haired girl's gaze switched back and forth between her friend and the building. Eventually, she said, "Why? What's the point?"

"I just want to know what it's like inside. Think of all the fun things we could do!"

At that Jane turned and studied the two girls. There had been some slight familiarity about the whole situation, and she had a vague memory of hearing that last statement before. She took in the features of both girls, the unruly dark locks of the slightly taller girl, and the chiselled cheek bones of her blonde companion at even such a young age. Jane let out a gasp of recognition, and her eyes snapped towards the place where her partner had been standing.

But Frost was no longer there.

* * *

Jane startled awake as her head painfully bounced against the window. The detective had fallen asleep not long after she and Korsak had begun their journey back to B.P.D, the events of the past few days clearly taking their toll on her. Groggy and confused, she looked to Korsak for clarification.

"Sorry Jane, a woman stepped out in front of us I had to swerve pretty hard to avoid hitting her."

Jane simply grunted in response, placing her hand against the throbbing in her head where it had made contact with the glass, and made sure to scowl at the woman who simply carried on across the road like nothing had happened. Gazing out the window at nothing in particular, Jane allowed the bits and drabs of her dream to come back to her. Flashes of Frost … Images of Paige and herself as teenagers …

Before long, the last piece had slotted itself into the picture, and the jigsaw was complete. The tall detective bolted upright in her seat, or at least as far as her seatbelt would allow, before it snapped tight and threw backwards into the backrest. "Korsak!" she said, as she sat up again, a little more calmly this time. "I think I know where Maura is!"

Jane's sudden movement and excitement took the older detective by surprise, and he slammed his foot on the brakes, much to the annoyance of the car behind. Pulling over, and holding up a hand in apology, Korsak turned to look at Jane in confusion. "What? How?"

"I had a dream. Frost…" Jane trailed off, taking in the look on her partner's face. "It doesn't matter. Paige and I used to hang out as teens by this old abandoned building on the harbour. She used to talk about breaking in all the time, just to see what it was like inside."

Korsak considered what Jane had said for a moment, before sighing. "It's not a lot to go on, Jane. We're going to need to call in a team, and I'm not sure a dream you had will justify –"

"Korsak, we have to try!" the younger detective interrupted. "There was something bothering me about that photograph of the harbour. The view looked familiar, but it's the not the type of view that would be used for travel magazines or brochures. I'm almost certain I know that view because I used to stand and look at it pretty much every day!"

For a moment nothing but the soft sounds of the quieted radio station filled the car, as Korsak simply looked at Jane. He noted that the dark orbs held a light that had been missing since the ordeal began. He had missed the sheer amount of life that resided in his friend's eyes, and he knew from experience that Jane's instincts were very rarely wrong. "Okay, come on. Let's get back to B.P.D and see what we can do."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN - here you go, second chapter today as promised. And no this is not the end, but only a couple more chapters to go!**

 **This chapter switches between points of view, so I'll put a line break every time it shifts.**

 **I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

Jane couldn't sit still. Currently, she was pacing up and down the bullpen, and biting at the skin around her nails. Korsak had been in with Cavanaugh for what felt like hours, trying to get the go ahead for a raid on a building they didn't even know if Maura was in.

But Jane knew.

She knew without a doubt that Paige would have taken Maura there, to that building, a symbol of the friendship that Jane and Paige had once shared. What a perfect place to take the woman who now meant the world to Jane. What a perfect place for the two old friends to meet once again.

She could hear the voices in the office rising, Korsak doing everything he could to persuade Cavanaugh. Before she knew it, Jane had her hand on the handle of the door to Cavanaugh's office to offer Korsak more firing power against the Lieutenant's defence. But before she could enter, a thought swam to the front of her mind.

 _This is wasting time. Time that Maura might not have. I need to save her!_

Without a second thought, Jane strode to her desk, grabbing her keys and her gun, and left the bullpen, grabbing a bulletproof vest on her way out.

Jane drove down to the harbour front in absolute silence, never once turning on the radio. Her head was a cacophony of shouts, each more angry than the last. Her hand found its way to the gun on her hip, as it had done every thirty seconds since she'd left BPD.

She'd stalked down to her car, trying her hardest to ignore the Prius still parked in the BPD parking lot, knowing she needed to keep a clear head. But it was as if it became a shining beacon, and she a mere moth, inevitably attracted to the light. She'd placed her and against the driver's window, before resting her head against it and closing her eyes, allowing a few tears to spill as she pictured the blonde sat behind the wheel as they said their goodbyes and headed home safely.

Sadness clenched the detective's heart, but it soon gave way to anger. Violent, unadulterated anger. And before she realised she had moved, Jane was in her car and heading towards the harbour.

She pulled up and sat for a moment attempting to think of a plan. But Jane was too angry to think clearly, and she was known for rushing into things without thinking. _So why change now?_

The detective put on her vest and made her way down the front, her anger never dissipating, but becoming more apprehensive with every step. She stopped for a moment where she had seen Frost stand in her dream, before looking up at the sky.

"Thank you. This is for you Frost. For you, and Kate, and Maura."

And with that, she continued on her war path, never stopping until she reached her goal. She examined the windows first, noting the same boards across the windows were still there, if not more weathered and cracked, allowing only the slightest glimpse into the secrets and horrors that lay within its walls. Her eyes fell to the door, and she saw the old rusted lock had gone, no doubt cut off easily after decades of being exposed to the elements. _This is it,_ she thought, _this is where it all ends._

She had stood in this exact place so many times as a child, always thinking about what lay on the other side of the door. _Who'd have thought it would house my own personal monster, and that it would have been my childhood best friend, who for so many years had been on this side of the door?_

With a deep breath, Jane pushed opened the door and crossed the threshold into her own personal hell.

* * *

Korsak left Cavanaugh's office with his head down and regret swimming in his eyes. He couldn't stand to look at his friend and see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Jane, I'm sorry. I tried, I really did. But Cavanaugh says he cannot give the go ahead on a team that big when we don't have any evidence. He's agreed to try and get a warrant so we can canvas all the buildings on the front, but he's said that it will take a while, considering the only thing we have to go on are two photos that may not even be related."

He waited for a response, expecting to receive a verbal lashing out or to feel the wind on his face as Jane blitzed past him and into Cavanaugh's office. But neither happened.

"Jane?" Korsak looked up to see the other detective's desk empty and no sign of her anywhere in the room, other than the coat shoved over the back of her chair.

"Jane!" he tried again, heading towards the break room. "Jane, where are you?"

Jane was nowhere to be seen, and when heading back to the bullpen, Korsak noticed that her draw was open, and her keys and gun missing. "Shit."

Korsak burst into Cavanaugh's office, bright-faced and slightly panting.

"Korsak, I told you. I'm sorry bu-"

"We've got a problem."

At this Cavanaugh's head snapped up, and he took in the flustered appearance of his detective. "What?"

"Jane's gone. So are her keys and gun."

"Shit. Get down to the front desk and ask if she was seen leaving the building, I'll call Frankie and some backup."

Korsak bolted from the office and slammed his fist on the elevator button, cursing at how long it took to arrive. He hit the ground floor button and waited tensely for the elevator to reach the floor. He was out the doors before they had even opened fully and barrelled up to the front desk.

"Did you see Detective Rizzoli leave?" he all but shouted and the young officer, who blinked up in confusion at him.

"Er, yeah. 'Bout twenty minutes ago. Why?"

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No. She just stalked right out. She was carrying a vest though."

"A vest?"

"Yeah, y'know, a bulletproof vest."

"Shit!" said Cavanaugh as he exited the elevator with Frankie and a few other officers, catching the tail end of the conversation.

Korsak turned to Cavanaugh and said "She's gone after Paige. On her own. We gotta help her, this woman is a psycho!"

Cavanaugh nodded, "I know. Come on then, let's move out and quickly."

* * *

Jane moved slowly down the corridor, gun raised and trying desperately not breathe in the dust. That would undoubtedly make her cough or sneeze, alerting anyone in the building to her presence. She hated it in here. Darkness draped over the walls like tapestries and shadows danced around her escaping from what little light was let in by the cracked boards against the windows. She trod carefully, trying to avoid the rotting floor boards that groaned like lost souls when she stood on them. Jane could see scratches on the floors and skirting boards, presumably left by rats, and occasionally there was still some paint clinging to the walls. The air was stuffy, thick and stale, making it difficult to breathe without wanting to vomit. Every fibre of her being was screaming at her to get out of this place and run, but the thought of Maura being kept in this place for days on end was enough to keep her moving.

She moved along mechanically and methodically, checking every room she passed for any sign that someone may be in there until eventually, she came to a door towards the back of the building that was locked.

The only locked door that she had encountered so far.

She studied the lock and realised that with how old it was, with a few good kicks she could probably get the door open. She kicked once, then twice, but she hadn't slept or eaten properly for days and she was exhausted. The door refused to yield. _Come on, Rizzoli. You've kicked down much sturdier doors than this. Think of Maura!_

Taking a few paces back, and gathering all the strength she could muster, she ran flat out at the door, ramming her shoulder and side into it as she connected with it. This time, the door opened, banging against the wall, as Jane went barrelling through, stopping just short of going headfirst down a set of stairs.

Jane peered down the stairs but the room below was shrouded in impenetrable darkness. She raised her gun to eye level in one hand with an iron-tight grip, finger perched on the trigger, ready to pull if necessary, whilst she felt blindly with the other for a light switch. Just as her hand closed around the rope of what she assumed to be a pull switch, something hard collided with the back of her head, sending her sprawling down the stairs and into the darkness below.

* * *

Maura startled awake as she heard what sounded like the basement door bang open.

 _Not again. Please, I can't take any more._

She was tired, hungry and weak. Everything hurt and she knew she was fighting a losing battle. She knew it wouldn't be long before her eyes closed forever. She had lost so much blood, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd had even a sip of water.

She couldn't find it in herself to be afraid anymore. Being afraid required too much energy, energy she didn't have. So she waited in silence for the light to come on and her captor to stalk down the stairs like a predator who has her prey exactly where she wants it.

 _Where is she? Why is she taking so long?_

But rather than the light coming on, and the tell-tale sounds of those boots clomping down the stairs, she heard a yelp of pain followed by the sounds of a body crashing down the stairs and as well as something else bouncing down after them. There was a sickening crack, and whoever it was let out a pain stricken groan when they eventually hit the bottom.

It was then that the light came on, and Maura couldn't take the sudden brightness after so long in the dark, and pain exploded behind her eyes. She screwed her eyes shut against the light, willing her eyes and mind to adjust so she could take in what was happening.

Laughter drifted downstairs, but not happy laughter. It was the laugh of a sick and deranged madwoman, whose game was finally coming to an end. The laughter of a woman whose prize was within her grasp, and she could taste victory on the tip of her tongue. It was a truly disturbing sound to hear, and Maura knew exactly who it belonged to when the boots that had haunted her every waking and sleeping moments sounded their way down the stairs.

"Hello Jane, long time no see, huh?"

 _Jane? Jane's here?!_

Maura forced her eyes open, pain be damned. There, crumpled at the foot of the stairs, clutching her right wrist and blood flowing freely from her head was Jane. Maura willed herself to speak but no sound came out. Her jaw was broken and her throat hoarse. She hadn't used her voice in days.

The blonde woman continued, "What, nothing to say to me? Nothing at all to say to your old. Best. FRIEND?" She punctuated each word with a hard kick to Jane's ribs, and then followed up with a kick to Jane's face that snapped her head backwards and blood to trickle down her chin.

Maura let out a mangled cry that could barely be heard, but her arms shot out in protest, causing her the metal of her handcuff to clang against the pipe she was chained to, getting the attention of both women across the room.

* * *

Jane's pained gaze landed on the doctor, and glassy eyes immediately filled with tears. Maura was there and alive. Barely, and badly hurt, but still alive. Still fighting.

"Oh my god Maura, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, that's good. Apologise to her, because this is your fault. You're the reason she's in this mess," came the snide voice of devil who had put them all through this nightmare, who had taken so many of Jane's loved ones away from her.

"Why Paige? What made you like this?" Jane asked as she tried to pick herself up from the floor. Her fall down the stairs had broken her wrist and badly twisted her left knee and right ankle, making it difficult to stand.

Paige stalked towards her, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger forcing her to look into the cold eyes of the woman in front of her.

"Why it was you, Jane. All you."

"Me? What the fuck did I ever do to you?"

"You became everything I ever wanted to be, took away everything that should have been mine and then you forgot about me."

"What the hell are you talking about? You're insane!"

At that Paige sent her fist flying into Jane's ribs that were already bruised, if not broken, from the kicks she had taken earlier. The impact and the pain forced the breath out of the detective's lungs and sent her collapsing to the floor once more and desperately struggling to breathe. The injury to her head from falling down the stairs and the amount of blood lost was beginning to play havoc with her mind, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold on to consciousness. She could hear Maura's sobbing and attempts a speaking, but there were getting further and further away with each agonising breath.

Paige hoisted herself up onto the table that Jane hadn't even noticed, being too distracted by Maura and the bitch that was now staring her down like a prize to be won at a carnival. A twisted smile graced her features as she twizzled something in her hand, something that glinted in the light.

"You always were number one, weren't you Jane? Always the one to get everything. Always the most popular of the group."

"I don't know what you mean!" Jane shouted, in pain and desperate to get to Maura. "If your problem is with me, then here, you have me. But let Maura go!"

But Paige just carried on, as if she never heard a word that Jane had said.

"She was my friend first you know. I was the one who introduced her to you."

"You're talking about Kate." It wasn't a question

"I loved her even then. Even before you met her. But it was you she chose. The girl everyone used to call Rolly Polly Rizzoli. She chose you, over me."

"That's why you killed her?! Because she fell in love with me and not you?"

Again Paige carried on without showing any sign she had heard anything Jane had said.

"And then you went away to the academy, and you had no time for her so you just dropped her like you dropped me."

"What?! I didn't just drop her, we were bo-"

"And then, of course, you graduated the academy at the top of the class. Number one. And a woman in a class full of men no less! What a super star you are Jane."

"I don-"

"I got kicked out of college you know. I got kicked to the curb whilst the great Jane Rizzoli took her rightful place on the throne." Finally, Paige looked at Jane, looked at her with such an intensity the Jane though she might see right into her soul. Jane couldn't believe how cold someone's eyes could be, and yet so calm. It scared her. "And then you replaced me. With this bitch."

Paige slid off the table and stalked towards Maura, who sobbed and tried to avoid the demon heading towards her but not before giving another kick to Jane's head, sending it reeling backwards and causing it to collide with the floor once more. Darkness closed around her vision, as Jane struggle to sit up.

"Leave her alone."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. See, I'm fed up of letting people take what should be mine. And she took my place as your best friend."

"And what? You think killing her will allow you to become my best friend again?"

"Oh not at all. Because once I've killed her, I plan to kill you too."

Jane watched in horror as she realised the shiny object Paige had been admiring earlier was a knife, and that it was now being pointed at Maura. It was only now that Jane remembered she had a gun, and she looked around in a desperate attempt to find it, ignoring the ever growing darkness clouding her mind. She was losing consciousness and fast.

Without even looking away from Maura, Paige called, "Don't bother looking for your gun, I picked it up when you 'fell' down the stairs. So clumsy Jane."

Paige grabbed Maura's non-cuffed hand and roughly pushed in against the wall, holding it there in a bruising grip. She ignored the heart-wrenching sob that escaped the broken woman as she turned to face Jane.

"Best friends go through a lot of shit together Jane, and often they come out with matching scars."

"NO!"

But Paige ignored her, ramming the knife through the hand of the doctor, enjoying the agonising cry of pain that was wrenched from the woman. She watched as the blood pooled out from the hand, flowing down the wall like a crimson waterfall.

Maura's cry lit a fire deep within Jane and she gathered what little energy she had left and launched herself across the room, ignoring the fire burning in her lungs and the way that darkness temporarily overwhelmed her.

"DON'T YOU HURT HER AGAIN YOU BITCH!" she screamed, as she collided with Paige, sending them both crashing into the wall. Heads clashed and blood flowed as they both fell in a heap on the ground.

Paige was the first to recover, and Jane opened her eyes to the sight of her own gun pointed squarely at her. Launching herself at Paige had taken everything she had, and she knew that any minute now darkness would take her. _But will it be caused by my own gun?_

Paige towered over her like a hunter over its prize. She placed her hand against the side of her head, and when she pulled it away it was covered in blood.

"You'll pay for that Jane."

The safety release sounded, and Jane knew her time was up. Her name was being shouted but she couldn't decipher the voice. The sound of a gun firing was the last thing she heard before everything went black.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN- Hey guys! Here's another update for you. There's song lyrics involved in this one, which will be in bold and centred, and any thoughts will in italics like all the other chapters. The song used here is 'For the Taking' by Elenowen, it's a beautiful song so go check it out! Thank you for reading!**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

Finally the funeral was over, and everyone was heading back to the Dirty Robber. The weather had been awful as everyone adorning black clothes and waxy faces endured the assaulting rain. It was as if the universe itself was mourning a soul so wrongly taken from this world. Following the mahogany coffin, tears had streamed steadily, words had been beautifully spoken, and homage paid to a person whose life had been dedicated to justice.

Even now, as everyone crowded into the bar to begin the celebration of life, music playing softly in the background, shoulders still slumped under the weight of death's hand, grief tearing at their insides like a hurricane.

Jane sat in her usual booth, watching the little beads of condensation chasing each other down the side of her lemonade. She desperately wanted a beer, something to soothe the pain and quell the roaring emotions in her mind. But alas, alcohol was off the table since the bullet that Paige had put in her shoulder had left her on meds that did not mix well with alcohol.

The detective had woken up in the hospital, confused and blinded by the startling white of the room, clawing at the IV in her arm until the gentle hand of her mother stopped her panicked motions. She had taken a moment to survey the room and organise her thoughts, as her mother informed her that she had had a concussion, was nursing a few broken ribs, but that the main problem had been the bullet that had wedged itself in her shoulder.

She took in the old TV set hung above her bed, the old and discoloured chair that her mother had been slumped asleep before her daughter's frenzied actions had awoken her, the window that only offered a view of a grey and miserable sky from Jane's position, before she allowed her eyes to rest on the abundance of flowers and cards that been placed on her bedside table.

Gifts from the entire department, Angela had told her. Meant as both a get-well-soon and a job-well-done on her efforts to save Maura and take down Paige.

As soon as her mother had mentioned the doctor, panic had raged through Jane like a wildfire, and she was fighting against the tubes in her arms once again. Angela had held her steady once more, telling her that Maura was fine. The doctor had lost a lot of blood, had a lot of bones broken and was severely malnourished and dehydrated, but she was fine and on her way to making a full recovery. Jane's panic had left her at her mother's words but only to be replaced by guilt, a feeling she knew would never leave her.

It was another two days before Jane was permitted to leave her bed, and that was only as far as Maura's room. Maura had been asleep when Jane and Angela had reached her room, and Angela took the opportunity to allow Jane some time alone. The detective had sat down in the chair beside the doctor's bed, wincing as the movement caused a great deal of pain to flair in both her ribs and shoulder. Once seated, the detective took Maura's hand in her own, the one that wasn't encased in a sling, and felt her eyes fill at the sight of her best friend. Maura had been so impossibly thin and frail, and every inch of skin on show was either purple or a sickly yellowing colour where bruises were beginning to heal. Jane had wept, hard, and lost track of a number of times she had whispered "I'm sorry", each more desperate than the last.

That had been the last time Jane had saw Maura. Until today, a week and a half later. Despite having sat side by side during the service, and stood so close their arms had brushed against each other as they watched the coffin of Barry Frost being lowered into his final resting place, Jane had never been more distant from the doctor.

Her musings were interrupted when Korsak slid into the booth opposite her, his eyes still red and puffy. Neither of them spoke for a moment until Korsak looked up from his drink and simply said, "I miss him."

Jane trailed the lip of her glass with her finger and sighed. "Yeah, me too. It's like there was this light, and now it's just gone out, and no one can get it to light again."

Korsak nodded solemnly, "Yeah… and I almost had to experience that three times." His voice cracked as he said it, failing to hold in the overwhelming emotion. His eyes had filled with unshed tears and Jane found she couldn't handle the intensity of his gaze.

She looked down at the table as she struggled to find words. "Korsak…"

"No Jane, listen to me, please. We lost Frost and that hurts like hell. And then Maura was captured and none of knew whether she would-" but his voice cracked again, and Jane watched him as he shakes his head and took a breath. "And then I find that you've just run off, willingly putting yourself into harm's way."

"Korsak, I had to help her. I needed to find her."

"I know Janie, I know. And I think – no I know that I probably would have done the same, had I been in your shoes. But I will never get the image of getting there, and seeing you crumpled on the floor, with a gun pointed straight at you." A tear fell from his eye, and he wiped hastily at it. "I could have lost all of you that day. It should come as a relief knowing that I got there in time, but it plays on my mind every time I close my eyes, and all I feel is panic when I remember that if I hadn't pulled the trigger at that exact moment, then the bitch would have put that bullet straight through your heart." Jane sucked in a breath at that. No one had told her how close she had come to meeting Death that day. Korsak continued, "if I had been even a second later…" He trailed off, unable to voice what would have happened. Jane placed her hand over his, willing him to look at her after his eyes had dropped to the table between them.

"But you weren't Korsak. You got there in time. You saved me, and you saved Maura. And I will never be able to thank you enough."

They sat in silence for a moment before Korsak gave her hand a squeeze and a small, sad smile before slipping from her booth and mingling with the others. She watched as he headed to Maura, wrapping the woman in a hug and talking softly to her. Jane ached to be with Maura. To wrap her arms around the smaller woman and bury her face in her hair and simply ignore all the hurt and the pain in the world around her. But she couldn't shake the thoughts in her head that it was her fault Maura had been caught up in this. That to be near Maura was to cause her pain, and Jane didn't know how she would cope with ever hurting Maura again.

Jane's eyes broke away from Maura when her mother slipped into the seat that Korsak had just vacated. Angela studied her daughter before speaking, noting the unwavering gaze directed at the doctor before she had sat down, and warring emotions so played so obviously across the face of the detective. Her daughter was hurting, and it broke Angela's heart to watch.

"You've barely spoken to her."

"What?"

"Come on Janie, you know what I'm talking about. You haven't said more than two words to her since you woke up."

Jane wanted to protest, but she knew her mother was right, so instead, she said nothing, taking her sip of her lemonade, that was now grossly watered down due to the ice cubes melting.

"Baby, she's hurting and she needs you."

"No, she doesn't." The words were out her mouth before she could stop them, and Jane was horrified at how self-depreciating her tone was. The vulnerability was tangible, so much so that it felt as if it had become a physical presence, that had rudely taken up residence at their table, listening to the, and making itself the prime topic of conversation.

"Janie, I know you love her," she continued as her daughter's eyes snapped towards her, "and she loves you."

The detective shook her head, and let out a bitter laugh. "How could she? Look at her, Ma."

"Jane-" Angela tried to interrupt but Jane just steamrollered on with her point.

"No look at her, and tell me what you see. Because I'll tell you what I see. I see a broken woman. A woman who has been through hell and back! And you know why? Because she got caught up in shit aimed at me. Because she became friends with me! Because of me." She the last part as she looked down at the table, and so quietly that it was almost inaudible, but Angela heard nonetheless, and the pain and self-hate there made her heart clench.

"Janie, listen. What happened is terrible. There's no disputing that. But what happened is not your fault. None of it."

"I almost lost her because of it! Just like we lost Frost –"

"Yes, you almost lost her because of _it,_ not _you._ Janie, I know you're hurting, but baby you can't sit here blaming yourself for this. It was never you who started this. It was Paige. You cannot sit here and allow yourself to think for one second that any of this your fault. No one blames you here, and Maura certainly doesn't.

"You asked me to tell you what I see when I look at Maura, but I'm going to tell you what I see when I look at both of you. I see two women who survived an ordeal so horrific that I don't think many others would have. There as to be a reason for that Janie. I see a woman, who could have easily given up in the face of darkness, and I see a woman who moved heaven and hell to find her. I see a bond between the two of you so strong that both of you faced Hell and death together, and came out the victors because of it.

"Love is a risk, scary and dangerous. But baby, it's also the most wonderful thing you can ever experience. If you can sit here and honestly tell me that when you look at Maura and you don't see home or safety then I leave you alone. But Jane, I've seen the way you look at her, and I've seen the way she looks at you. And I tell you now, that for a lot of people here tonight, for such a sad reason, you two are their hope. A light to follow when the darkness presses in. Because you've made it through. And you've shown that love can conquer anything."

Jane looked at her mother, _properly_ looked at her, and questioned when her mother had become so wise. She studied the stress lines that seemed new and the way her mother looked more exhausted than she could ever remember her looking. The experience had taken its toll on everyone. It took her a moment, but then she realised that Angela had always said things like this, Jane had just refused to listen. The older woman slipped from the booth, and Jane's eyes never left the retreating woman's back, until she lost her in the sea of people, who still projected an aurora of sadness, despite the mood having picked up a little with the sharing of drinks and stories of Barry Frost.

The night was wrapping up but Jane didn't move. Maura had left ten minutes ago, following an awkward exchange where Jane struggled to meet the doctor's eyes and had simply nodded as the smaller woman had bid her goodbye.

Jane was startled when Korsak's voice came over the speakers. "Okay guys, this is the last song of the night before we call it a day. This one is one taken from Frost's iPod thingy," he paused as a few titters sounded around the room as everyone could imagine the man in question rolling his eyes at his partner's lack of tech knowledge, "and one that I have been told was played the most times."

Jane groaned internally, as the first few bars rang out over the speaking and dropped her head into her hands, recognising the song immediately. She had teased Frost for weeks when she first caught him listening to it, as it was so different from the stuff he usually listened to. The bar had gone very quiet, everyone listening intently as the lyrics rang out.

 **'** **When sorrows seem to find you day after day  
You leave a dream behind you every step you take  
Well, sometimes there is not an answer for the heartache we feel.  
Sometimes we have to shatter before we can heal.'**

Jane thought of her friend, who had been so cruelly ripped from them. She thought of the face she would never see again across from her in the bullpen. She thought of his name that would go up on the plaque honouring fallen officers. She hadn't cried yet, hadn't properly mourned the passing of one of the most important people in her life. But right now, with this piece of her friend washing over her, and embracing her as if it was the man himself wrapping his arms around her, she allowed her tears to fall, openly and unrestricted.

 **'** **When there are no words and everything hurts  
This moment is in the making  
So keep walking that line,  
Another step and you'll find.  
This life is for the taking,  
So take it now.'**

Her mother's words bounced around her head, and as the chorus sounded in her ears, Jane couldn't help but smile. _You conspiring with my mother now Frost?_ She let the song and lyrics dance around her, as she thought of what she had lost and what she still had.

 _Maura._

As the song approached its end, Jane had come to a decision. The final words of Frost's song followed her out of the door and waited with her as she hailed a cab.

 **'** **Soon we are going to look back and see what remains,  
When trouble is behind us and everything has changed.'**


End file.
